Hossa’s change mimics that of Pens’ great Jagr

Minus the questionable ’90s hockey mullet, the “C” missing from his jersey and, of course, the… Minus the questionable ’90s hockey mullet, the “C” missing from his jersey and, of course, the two Stanley Cup rings, Marian Hossa looks a little like Jaromir Jagr did when he left the Penguins in 2001. Though they both are dominant right wingers and hail from the former Czechoslovakia, the common denominator by which they’ll be remembered for is leaving Pittsburgh on a sour note.

Correction appended July 16, 2008.

Minus the questionable ’90s hockey mullet, the “C” missing from his jersey and, of course, the two Stanley Cup rings, Marian Hossa looks a little like Jaromir Jagr did when he left the Penguins in 2001.

Though they both are dominant right wingers and hail from the former Czechoslovakia, the common denominator by which they’ll be remembered for is leaving Pittsburgh on a sour note. As they did with Jagr, Pens fans rallied behind Hossa hoping that he felt some sort of attachment to the team and to the fans, even after only a few months. At the end of the Stanley Cup run, Hossa said he would take less money to be on a “good team,” as reported in a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story last month. Penguins fans hoped or even assumed that he meant the Penguins, but it so happens that the Detroit Red Wings turn out to be a good team, too.

Years ago, Jagr similarly had a verbal agreement to stay with the Pens, not just any good team. Mario Lemieux, a player at the time and the team’s current principal owner, told a young Jagr that he could finish out his career in Pittsburgh. But after 11 seasons with the Pens, Jagr grew weary of the administration and asked to be traded.

He got more money – $20.7 million for two years with the Washington Capitals – but he never played in a championship final again.

It’s uncertain what drove Hossa away. Most people say that it was the call of the Cup, but that means Hossa believed he had a better chance to win the Cup in one season with the Red Wings than in seven seasons with the Eastern Conference champions.

Ouch.

Other people speculate it was another reason. Perhaps it’s obvious, but I’ll give you a hint. Ho$$a.

With the Red Wings, he will make $7.4 million in one season, as opposed to the $50 million he would have earned playing in Pittsburgh for seven years. However, after one year with the team that has hoisted the Cup more times in recent history than any other, Hossa could be primed for a more lucrative deal.

Hossa also likely foresaw that if he played with the Pens, he wouldn’t be playing with the same team he got to know in the playoffs. With popular players such as Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts and, recently, Ty Conklin gone, Pens fans might be tempted to throw their hands up in defeat.

But the Pens aren’t starting from scratch. With most of “the core” players locked into five- to seven-year deals, the team can try out prospects in a familiar environment. Since Hossa skipped town, the Penguins signed five forwards, including Janne Pesonen, the leading goal-scorer in the Finnish Elite League last season.

Among the other additions to the Penguins’ roster is veteran Miroslav Satan. Last season, Satan, a fellow Slovakian right winger, posted a respectable 41 points. Satan is the oldest of the Pens’ acquirements at 33, but the other guys aren’t exactly young pups. Except for Pesonen, they are all within a year of Hossa’s age and will hopefully bring the experience that comes with it.

In addition to experience, left winger Matt Cooke, one of the new acquisitions, will bring some grit back to the ‘Burgh.

That’s something that the Pens didn’t expect or receive from Hossa. In general, the Pens didn’t ask much of Hossa. Sure, he had the experience that came from playing the game so long, but he hadn’t played in a Stanley Cup final before, and his skills in the postseason were questioned. Considering he was the focus of the blockbuster deal in February, Hossa had a mediocre showing early in the post season.

Eventually Hossa found his rhythm and helped to keep the Pens alive in the last two series against the Flyers and the Red Wings. He gave that extra boost to Sidney Crosby that Jagr gave Lemieux in the early ’90s, though to a lesser degree.

We can look back bitterly on Hossa leaving, or we can look forward to the promising years ahead. He was only here for a few short months and shouldn’t be labeled as a traitor. I didn’t expect Hossa to stay in Pittsburgh forever.

After all, he’s Marian, not Mario.

Editor’s note: This article incorrectly reported the details of Marian Hossa’s contract offer with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hossa’s offer with Pittsburgh was seven years and $50 million. The Pitt News regrets the error.