What should be the last word on Sundin

Frenzy. Sundin was on the market, so the perceived value goes up. That is what FA is all about isn't it. Sundin is a very skilled player who has done nothing remarkable during his career. He is big but doesn't play big in big games, not that he has been in many. I would have liked to see him in a Habs sweater but I like Lang just as well skill wise, and more team wise. But please don't trash Sundin. He was very upfront with the Habs from the onset. He did not want to play in Montreal. He wanted NY from before the FA period, and was clear on that to the Habs. Then NY couldn't come up with the dollars. That he hung out the Leafs, well, they hung him out as well. No trade, public appearances, social engagements, marketed, then...well we can sell ya Matts, what do ya think big guy? So he showed them what he thought. Maybe Matts will win the cup, but the cup won't be won because of Matts or any one player. Teams win cups. Fans just refuse to believe that. Now can we all stop talking about Matts Sundin please.

Sundin signs with the 'Nucks. Big surprise...nobody saw that coming, right? Hey, c'mon, it's not about the money...honest! And, and, and...he doesn't want to be a rent-a-player...honest! Mats Sundin has...integrity! Just ask him. I never liked that PEZ dispenser mug of his, and I am so glad he never ended up here. Thank god it's over...now bring them Canucks to the Bell Centre...please.

He is going to blow most of that $10 Million on poker, He seems to have more desire playing that than hockey, doesn't matter to him weather he wins or loses in hockey as long as he still gets paid...Which is probably why it's for a sloppy one year deal, so next year he will go to another tanked team and get paid a ridiculous amount!

No complaints here...I'm just glad we don't have any Leaf scum on our team.

Bottom line, King Mats didn't want to be here so I'm glad he didn't choose us. We desperately need a 4th D, Breezer, Gorges, Cube and for sure O'Byrne aren't cutting it and will eventually cost us a game when it really counts. Back to Mats, in the end it was all about $$, what a shock!! He's a total hypocrite. If he really wanted to win a cup he would have taken less $$ and gone to the Rangers or Philly. Best quote from the aticle was the GM stating that you really have to question a player who won't waive the no trade to have a chance at winning a cup. Hell Ray Bourque did it and no one ever gave him grief for it. That says all about Mats that I need to know. I wish him no ill will this year and you can bank on this, he will whore himself out to the highest bidder next year as well. I'm glad we have Gainey and not that buffoon Gillis. Go Habs Go !!

Stubbs -- thoughtful, insightful take (you forgot predictable) Scott Burnside -- But he is nowhere near the player the myth suggests. First off, personally, I would have loved to have seen him on the Canadiens team. Deep down, who wouldn't? Nonetheless, I was always fairly indifferent about the whole Sundin drama... never getting my hopes up because I knew there was alot more than just a hockey player here. It was a free person, making his own descisions by his own timetable and not by the rest of the world's. Why not, it was his right. Ok, enough with the Bono... Instead, I'll use a Booneism here and call him a stud. A definition he uses for talented players who work hard, play smart hockey and are rewarded more often than not. Make no mistake, Sundin is a player's player. In other ways, Mats played the gigolo, the stud in this affair and the teams were women, primping cleavage, dangling money, each telling him they make the best morning eggs. So, when you chisel it all down, the process is no different than prostitution... and in my opinion, when the Canucks won the prize, I don't seriously think the other 3 teams were as pissed as their waiting fans. Certainly not as pissed as Burnside. I find this mystifying because, after all, he "is" part of the mechanism that hyped the whole affair in the first place. For the pedestrian chewing gum on a corner, his article states the obvious. To me, he came across like a scorned woman who dated Sundin for 10 years but never saw the altar, screaming to the teams, "Sure, he's great in the sack but he'll use you and only break your heart". What? I think, what ticked pundits most in this whole affair was that Sundin failed to leave any udders dangling for the suckers. He kept his mouth shut and his dignity intact. Well,.. as much dingnity as a whore can muster. Nevertheless, in the world of entertainment, two-headed monsters can/will/ must be created at every opportunity if only to keep pushing the gravy train down the tracks. Brought to you by the letter W

I know I shouldn't think like this, but I'm hoping either Canucks don't make the playoffs or preferably exit in the first round as Sundin receives blanket coverage! Better yet, Sundin pulls a groin and doesn't get to play in the post-season. LOL

Anyone else think that with Sundin's $10M salary, Vancouver's going to want to clear up some cap space, and may be willing to part with Ohlund to do it? 1. www.flickeringpictures.com - not a hockey site, but still kinda neat 2. Josh Gorges on Montreal's attack: "They're comin', they're comin' and they keep comin'. Just line after line, wave after wave..."

How do you spell Pathetic in Sweedish??? Starts with an S...

It's just sad how the whole thing went. Either you have the desire or you don't. I listened to Y. Cournoyer last night saying it took him 5 years to come to terms with retiring. Mats said with his head held high how much of a man he is, and how loyal he is, and all that crap. Then 10 months later he has been saying the whole time I only think of myself... I don't wish any harm to him, however I wouldn't be too sad if he picked up an injury from lack of real play that keeps him out of the lineup for the rest of the season. That would be the appropriate way for his career to end, as it is certainly a disgrace now.

Fearless prediction : It's not over. This is what is going to happen, media will cover Sundin every day as he practices, plays games, they will hold TSN meetings with the insiders with everyone battling for the 2 minutes of glory to tell people their precious opinion. Sundin becomes a bust in the Vancouver system and more added speculation of a trade deadline trade involving him might transpire. Everyone will be holding on to their nickers to see him get traded but utlimately won't happen because he's too loyal to leave the Canucks.

Last word: Good riddance!!! Ed.

Sundin, pure & simple is all about the money. I sure am glad he didn't come to Montreal because winning is not in his cards but filling his pockets with green to support his poker habit definitely is. Leaf fans should be pissed because their beloved hero let them down and they got absolutely nothing in return for their loyalty to Sundin. The next time Toronto plays Vancouver, I hope the fans in T.O. boo him right out of the ACC. What a selfish bum.

Come on, Boone. One final photoshop ordeal... Ex nihilo nihil fit

WOW!! MATTS when all in and won a big contract for nothing. He ain't winning the LORD STANLEY this year. He went for the money instead of going to one of the other teams that required his service. Do you blame the guy for his actions? Habs will find the guy who wants to play for the Habs. Its just a matter of time before BG finds his man. Here are the 2 I like to see in a Habs uniform; Brendan Shanahan and Jay Bouwmeester. Shanahan would be the guy in front of the on the PP and Bouwmeester on the point.

With around a 40 mil budget ,Longo and Matts are costing the Nucks 18 mil...and the team plays good without them.They should do well....

The last word on Sundin? How about a word from my Sig: poop. ~ Listen to the smart dog - he knows his poop!

Thank god, it´s over. It was quite embarrasing that so many Habs fans wanted him here...

Thank you Santa for a win last night and sneding Bubblehead Sundin to Vancouver! Wow, I was a better boy than I thought.

Whether Sundin would have helped or hindered Les Glorieux if he had signed in the summer is one of those questions that we may never answer. Vancouver may benefit (can't deny his skills), or they may live to regret it (age, injury, lack of Stanley drive). Time will tell on this one. Perhaps one of the things we should be grateful for is that he did not sign with a conference rival. No matter, we've got the skills, and last night the boys showed what they could do when they've got the drive. It's still an exciting time to be a Habs fan!

What a colossal waste of time l'affaire Sundin was! I never wanted him as a Hab and I'm glad he's gone way out west to rot with the rest of the Vancouver Maple Leafs-west. Should fit in perfectly there where he can babysit the twins amd catch up with his ol' buddy Kyle Wellfed. P.S. Leafs suck!

I said alot of negative things about Mats throughout this site. My Christmas wish came true....and for all Habs fans!!! End of a chapter has finally come from this Sundin saga. Let's move forward! "We will win the Cup only with Carey Price in the nets"

You know what would be funny? If Vancouver trades Sundin just before the deadline tonight to Minnesota.

I never wanted Sundin in Montreal. I said so as early as last summer when his name kept coming up. This, for better or worse, is Saku Koivu's team. We didn't need any ex-Leafs captain coming in, it would be like trying to mix oil and water. My most vivid memories of Sundown are of Pierre Page screaming in his ear on the Nordiques bench as they are being eliminated in game 6 by Montreal and he has a blank look on his face. Also, when the Leafs were eliminated by the Devils in 2002(?) and they (the Leafs) managed to muster 6! shots on goal the whole bloody game. Where was mighty Mats that night? Vancouver is welcome to him. I agree with another poster, Sundin will pull a groin guaranteed.

I agree that Milbury is the wrong guy for a Habs game. He is the heir apparent to Don Cherry. His comments about Kovalev were, in the least, infuriating. CBC does their best to negatively influence fans against the Habs. Does it work? No way. Habs fans are as loyal as ever and I'm sure the ratings on Saturday night reflect that. I know of many people, including myself, who tune in to RDS rather than watch HNIC (even if the Habs are on CBC which is very seldom). Did CBC think they were tossing the Habs fans a bone by showing these Thursday night games? Sure, they increased Habs' broadcasts, but on Thursday night? Come on. Even this coming Saturday, they're showing Tronna in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, our Habs are staying on Canadian soil hosting Buffalo, but unless you live in La Belle Province, you must watch on RDS (which I will). There...it's off my chest. About Sundin, who cares? Go! Habs Go!

Im not upset that he didnt come to Montreal, Im upset he chose this route as a player. I hope Phaneuf flattens him to be honest.

We should give Mats a Chara-like welcome when he comes to town on february 24. Boo him every time he has the puck. Nothing would be better then to chrush them and make him feel the Montreal crowd! I hope Koivu has a great game on this night and shows everyone what a great captain he is!

odds are, they guy will probably pull a groin. i don't dislike Mats, but he's no Zeus descending from Mount Olympus.

now that tells us all we need to know about sundin doesnt it. he's totally after nothing but money and not a cup chance after all.greed wins.padding ur bank account, pile on a few more million.5 mill divided by 13 weex left equals $333,333.33 a week.ya i guess id take that payday too.if the rangers win the cup itd be great.

I never liked the big galoot in the first place. Just remember this he was the best player in Toronto, so they treat him like a god. But Toronto has no idea what a winner looks like anyway, as we do. Vancouver got sucked in big time, and they were doing OK before this. They are going to play him on a line with Wellwood. What a joke to have two rejects from the worse team you can think of, and believe you have a winning combination. Give me a break! The Sharks are going to eat them alive. But he will go down hurt before the play offs start anyway, mark my words. He will never get a sniff of the cup, and rightly so!!

... Sundin has paid his debts to do anything he wanted to do... He won't take the Canucks to a Stanley... but he will add some excitement for the great and patient Canuck Fans for the rest of this year... Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049

I assume Sundin's wife is pissed that she is not going to Broadway. Instead she has landed in the north western part of the continent. I find that as players get toward the end of their career, their wives always want to close out their husband's career in New York - big dollars with no pressure to win since baseball, football and even basketball are king. If Sather could have cobbled together a few more dollars Sundin would have signed with them. If the Rangers can clean house a little next year Sundin's comes to the Rangers, Vancouver has been had. The reason why Shanny went to New York was his wife. She did not want to got to Montreal. The same can be said of Sundin's wife. Sundin could not have signed with Rangers for the $2.5 million they were offering because it would have looked stupid. It is only a few months in Vancouver. Sundin did us a favour by not waiving his no trade clause. Can you imagine Gainey if he had traded Higgins, plus a prospect and a draft choice for this guy. We would really be howling. If our guys can skate like last night on a regular basis we will be fine. Lets not give up on our guys. I remember this time last year Kessel was being benched by the Bruins. He was trade bait. He has 21 goals this year. mjames

That's a pretty weak column. First of all, Messier was a joke in Vancouver! Second of all, the premise that Sundin is loved in TO is incorrect. Leaf fans are really divided on Sundin. He was constantly being attacked for not being Gilmour or Clark. Just like Koivu being berated for not being a 'true' leader or a local boy. I don't understand why any hockey fan would begrudge this guy's decision-making. He captained his country to an Olympic gold medal. I think he has achieved his ultimate hockey dream. Now he is just having a hard time quiting hockey.

Dave, You've just started something special. Yeats and I predict that there will be over 1000+ posts on this thread now that you brought up the topic officially about Sundin's decision. I said from day one that he was never going to come to Montreal. Just hope most Habs fans are not sulking over his decison to go to Vancouver. He would not help us anyways, but would be another cancer to our team. From Day 1 from last season's trade deadline, the Matzoball was playing games with everyone and including our GM Bob Gainey. To me, he has no character! Putz Sundin, you are the biggest dink I have ever seen from a professional athlete. Thank heaven we can turn the page and forget about him. "We will win the Cup only with Carey Price in the nets"

What should be the last word on Sundin? per Associated Press: "Playing in his first game with the Vancouver Cannots last night, Mats Sundin tore up his groin and will miss the remainder of the 2008-2009 season." I don't usually wish injury on players but after all of his holier than thou comments from last year about having to start the season with a team, it would be 100% fitting. _____________________________________________________ Mad Pax...Beyond Powerdome

So, how long before Vancouver hands him the big 'C' for his jersey?

From a source in Stouffville, Ont., Sundin will sign with Les Canadiens this summer for the 2009/10 season.