Argh!! Even though I predicted this would happen since the Avs lost to the Wings in the Western Conference Finals, I really didn't want it to happen! I mean, other than the fact that I'm not particularly fond of Detroit, one of my other reasons for cheering on Carolina was that I knew that if Detroit won the Cup, Hasek would retire and the Wings would look to Joseph next. Darn darn darn!
Not that I'm all that enamoured of Cujo anyway--I never thought he deserved $9 million/a, it was just that he was the best of what was available--but did it have to be Detroit? Of all the teams that wanted to sign him, Detroit?! Sure, it makes complete sense on a rational level, but on an emotional one, it just stinks. As far as I know, Detroit is the only team that I actually don't like; I don't hate it now or anything, I'm just not fond of it at all, the way I am with all the other teams I've watched thus far.
I don't know if it's any comfort that he's leaving for glory rather than money. It gives me a bit more faith in hockey players, I suppose, i.e. that they're not all in it just for the money, but still...Yeah, I guess it really isn't the loss of Cujo that bugs me, but the loss of him to Detroit. I mean, I only liked Cujo because he was the Leaf's goalie (and I have a soft spot for goalies--I've like all of them that I've watched play except for Hasek), and I admired his conduct after the Olympics. Sure, it was probably just good PR on his part, but I was still struck by his good-natured acceptance of Quinn's decision to not let hime play a second Olympic game, even though that had been the original plan. The fact that he's done good work with Sick Kids (?) or something in Toronto makes me feel more charitable towards him too...Still, I don't know if I can overcome my distaste for the Wings enough to actually still like Joesph. As I mentioned earlier, I've liked all the goalies that I've seen in action (Brodeur, Curtis, Roy, Irbe, Hasek) except for Hasek, so I think it's more an exception than the norm for me to like a player on the Wings. The only player I really admire in Detroit is Yzerman, although Larionov is pretty cool as the oldest player in the league.
Ah well, I guess I'll wait and see. Cujo's still Canadian, after all. I wonder if he's going to have to get a new mask though? That would make sense, since the blue, Leaf theme wouldn't work with the Wings' red. =Þ At any rate, I hope, by some miracle, that Detroit won't win the Cup again in the next four years, but Toronto will (the latter would be the more miraculous part, IMO). Who knows, maybe Cujo's leaving will make it possible since the team's now free to spend what would've been his big salary on bolstering other parts of the team, like defense! We shall see in another two months or so, I guess.
