I’m here today to talk trade. I had to Google Free trade and found out it is simply a policy to eliminate discrimination against imports and exports.
Buyers and sellers from different economies may voluntarily trade without a government applying tariffs, quotas, subsidies or prohibitions on goods and services.
So, we Canadians can pay $1.34 for an American dollar while getting hosed on airfare, gas, shoes, winter jackets and beer by our own government. Guess that’s how free trade works.
It’s a boring subject matter so let’s move on to sports trades. TSN’s Sportscentre gives a zillion hours on the annual NHL Trading Deadline Day. For the record, there were 16 trades a few weeks ago with 31 players changing zip codes. Another 18 draft picks and $30.8 million in salaries were also swapped.
I was actually traded a few months into my third year of Pee Wee House hockey. A late cut by the Tier 1 team, I was a rock star on a line with Tom Ouchi and Gary Redmond, who unlike me, could both skate backwards. I averaged five goals a game and we dominated everybody. I was dealt to George Wapple’s last-place Rocky Mountain Transport team. My former team got nothing in return. I went on to ring up 104 goals but can’t name one player on that new team.
Unlike NHL players, I didn’t have a family to uproot. I was 13 and didn’t have time for girls or a mortgage. The trade was a shock, but I adjusted and moved on.
The most intriguing trade I remember came in January, 1983, when the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Breakers dealt Tom Martin to Victoria Cougars for a used bus and future considerations. Martin never played for the Breakers and decided to give the University of Denver Pioneers a try instead. The left winger had played for the Kelowna Buckaroos of the B.C. Junior League.
The most lopsided hockey trade hands-down saw Eric Lindros dealt by the Quebec Nordiques – who he refused to play for after being selected first overall in 1991 –to the Philadelphia Flyers for their own ’91 first-round choice Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Ron Hextall, Steve Duchesne, Chris Simon, a draft pick, and $15 million.
Lindros enjoyed several great seasons in Philly before it was realized that his head couldn’t absorb heavy hits from monsters like Scott Stevens.
Those players acquired in the Lindros deal helped the newly relocated Colorado Avalanche to Stanley Cup victories in 1996, and 2001. Further swinging the deal in Quebec/Colorado’s favor was that the draft pick from Philadelphia became Jocelyn Thibault, who was later sent to Montreal as part of the deal for Patrick Roy.
Here then, are a few trades I would make in a New York minute…
*The Super Bowl for the World Series.
*Buddy Knox for Roger Knox.
*Jay Beagle for Nathan Bear.
*Dogs for cats.
*January for September.
*Jonathan Toews for Rollie Fingers.
*Lanny McDonald for Connor McDavid.
*Dustin Brown and Andy Greene for Patrick Maroon and Mike Green
*Referees for umpires.
*Winnipeg for Vancouver.
*Bad News Bears for The Mighty Ducks.
*Bob Beers for Darcy Martini.
*John Shannon for Ross and Bob Shannon.
*Jari Kurri for Steven Rice.
*M&Ms for Smarties
*Gil Stein for Marty Stein.
*Ernie Gare for Leath Gare.
*Kelowna for Vernon.
*A high-five for a handshake.
*The Columbus Chill for the Syracuse Crunch.
*Tony Twist for Wes Walz.
*Revels for Creamsicles.
*Monday for Saturday.
*Martin Frk for Sebastien Aho.
*Jesper Bratt for Shane Prince.
*Home run hitting contests for slamdunk contests.
*Tim Hunter for Garth Butcher.
*Snow for rain.
