Around the National Hockey League, defenseman P.K. Subban is booed whenever he’s in an opponent’s rink. It’s been that way for years, whether he played for the Montreal Canadiens, the Nashville Predators or, currently, the New Jersey Devils.
The general consensus is, because he’s a flashy player who isn’t scared to let his personality shine through, he draws the ire of opposing fans. The old school culture of hockey doesn’t take too kindly to a player who thinks outside the team, even if said player always puts his team first while on the ice. It was for that reason, he was jettisoned from the Canadiens organization during the summer of 2016.
As Canadian author Roy MacGregor once put it, “While Montreal holds hockey sacred, Nashville sees it as entertainment.”
Entertainment indeed and, at the time, Subban was exactly what the Predators needed. He had elite talent, could start a rush up the ice with the best of ‘em and was in the prime of his career at age 27. If all of that wasn’t enough, Subban brought a level of celebrity to Nashville, something this city had never seen in the form of a professional athlete. His side-projects would be embraced here as opposed to suppressed in more traditional markets and his play on the ice would be a welcome addition.
Once in Nashville, Subban lived up to the hype. He posted 40 points in 66 games that first year, he joined the patients of Monroe Carrol Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the patients of Montreal Children’s Hospital in his annual Holiday video feature, he was arguably the Predators’ best player in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs that went all the way to the Final and he even tried to do his part to bridge the gap between lower-income families and the Police Department when he established the incredible Blueline Buddies program.
In short, Subban was as advertised on and off the ice.
When he was traded to the New Jersey Devils this past summer, however, some Preds fans seemed to be boisterous in their disdain for him. We very much live in a “what have you done for me lately” world and there’s no better example than some of the comments we saw on social media at that time. It’s almost as if people forgot all the great things he did during his three seasons wearing gold. And, it’s for that reason, I worry about what the response to Subban will be on Saturday night, his first game in Music City since the trade.
This man deserves a standing ovation during the video tribute — which I think he’ll get, by the way — but that’s not enough. Subban deserves cheers when he touches the puck.
Alright, hear me out on this.
As I said earlier, every building in the NHL boo’s Subban. Why not go against the grain and make a statement by cheering him? I’m not suggesting anything ridiculous like celebrating if he scores a goal and I’m certainly not suggesting this should go on past this season. I’m simply saying cheers throughout the crowd when he touches the puck on Saturday night would go a long way to showing how Music City loves and appreciates athletes, unlike most other markets.
Hell, this is the same fan base who had about a hundred people sign a sympathy card for then-Washington Capitals netminder José Théodore when he and his wife lost their two month old son, Chance. Theodore never played here but that didn’t matter. To some, it felt like the right thing to do. Hockey is a family. We see it time and time again.
Now, in fairness, he certainly drew his fair share of criticism in Music City — even as a member of the home team — due to his large annual salary and lack of production during the 2018-19 season. His 31 points were a career low and, at $9 million per year, that just wasn’t good enough for the Predators faithful. Furthermore, there was fear his injuries were mounting and, as a result, what fans were seeing on the ice was the value of him going forward.
But, to focus on that one season and apply that to Subban’s worth is a little pre-mature. He was a finalist for the Norris Trophy the season before and posted a career high in goals (16) while also being just a single point away from tying his career high in points (59), not to mention all of the amazing things he did for this community off the ice.
He (and the rest of the hockey world, whether they’re consciously thinking it or not) are expecting to hear boo’s. I mean, why wouldn’t they? It’s the norm. Which is exactly why it shouldn’t happen Saturday night. Nashville is different. Nashville is better.
And this man deserves better. He deserves cheers.
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PHOTO: Michael Gallagher
GRAPHIC: Jeremy K. Gover
