These Americans who hang their feet here

Spring 1986. Quebec continues to take stock of the reign of Pierre Marc Johnson as Prime Minister. But in Montreal, it’s more about hockey than politics, because the Canadian has just won its 23^and Stanley Cup.

Everywhere is delirium, and we’re not just talking about supporters. As proof, this photo of a skinny guy, bare-chested, in one of The Press of May 27, 1986.

Craig Ludwig has only good memories. Except for one detail.

“We were entitled to a bonus, I believe it was $54,000. Back in Wisconsin, after the exchange rate and taxes, I was left with $18,000! We were often told that in Montreal, we were fooled by the exchange rate, but that’s correct, it came with a ring! “, says the former robust defender of the Habs.

For a guy raised in Wisconsin, educated in North Dakota, and now living in Texas, Ludwig knows a bit about exchange rates, tax rates, and other realities of an American in Canada. He played 597 games with the Canadiens.

Ludwig is ninth in NHL history for games played by an American for a Canadian team. Where it gets more intriguing is when you look at who the all-time leader is. Jeff Petry, of course!

Petry has only known the Oilers and the Canadiens. But this relationship is visibly coming to an end. In early January, his partner, Julie, announced on Instagram that she would be spending the rest of the season in Michigan, “where our boys will have a more ‘normal’ lifestyle. [les guillemets étaient dans sa publication] and healthy, while being closer to our family.

Then, in an interview with The Press Sunday, the new GM of the Canadian, Kent Hughes, indicated that he was ready to exchange the number 26 “if it works on both sides”. To hear Julie Petry’s criticism of the “Canadian health care system” on Instagram last week, we guess that a transaction in Ottawa or Calgary would not solve anything.

The usual excuses

Back to Craig Ludwig. At the time, the exchange rate was indeed a headache, since Canadian teams paid salaries in Canadian dollars. Since 2005, all teams have been required to pay players in US currency.

“There were even Canadian players who preferred to play in the United States! “Recalls striker Joel Otto, an American who played 730 games with the Flames between 1984 and 1995.

Ludwig’s time in Montreal ended in September 1990, when he was traded to the Islanders for Gerald Diduck. “I still remember our reaction to my wife and me when I came home to tell her about the trade. The two looked at each other. We said to ourselves: “We will make money, we will no longer lose at the exchange rate!” But then, once in New York, we realized that taxes were high there too! “, he says, laughing.

Good old weather is another factor often cited as a deterrent for American players. But we must avoid generalizing.

Take the Winnipeg Jets. This season, they have had six players in their ranks from Minnesota, a state with a not so tropical climate, which shares a common border with Manitoba. Among them, we find in particular Blake Wheeler, in second place in our list above, as well as defender Nate Schmidt.

“Nate always says Manitoba is like Minnesota up north,” laughs Matt Keator, agent for Schmidt and Wheeler. “He goes ice fishing. He often says that he feels at home there, especially because he is used to this type of climate. I don’t know if a kid from California would say the same thing, but he’s fine with him. »

And the famous pressure? “With my style of play, I didn’t need to be a superstar,” recalls Ludwig, a tough defender. “I was trying to play within my limits. When people don’t expect you to score, it’s easy. »

His observation is interesting in light of what happened in 2019 Jake Gardiner, offensive defenseman whose stay in Toronto ended in a fishtail. Courted by the Canadian, he finally accepted an offer of lesser value to the Hurricanes, a contract with a no-trade clause concerning seven teams…

Impossible to know with certainty if this list includes the seven Canadian teams. But this simple idea enrages Ludwig. “I know some guys have clauses not to be traded to Canada. But I don’t understand why. If a kid told me he’s got that, I’d kick him in the crotch and say, ‘Stop, you got a chance to play in the National League!’ »

The importance of family

That said, the real blockages – and Petry’s case illustrates this well – can come from family issues.

Jason Pominville had the opposite path to that of Petry: a Quebecer (who has dual citizenship, however) who has played his entire career in the United States.

“I was privileged, I had a partial no-trade clause in my contracts, with teams to which I refused to be traded. And this list, I never made it alone, assures the former Sabers and Wild. In general, players who have families will always talk about it with their wives. »

For Joel Otto, the family question was simpler since it was in Calgary that he met his spouse. After his 11 years with the Flames, the forward played three seasons with the Flyers. The couple then thought of returning to Minnesota for retirement, but “we realized that we had a larger social circle in Calgary than in Minnesota”. Otto still resides in metropolitan Alberta.

At the Canadian of the 1980s, Cathy Gainey “was like a mother to all the women of the players, remembers Ludwig. I’m sure my wife learned a lot from Cathy. The hardest thing for her is that I was never home because I was always dating Chris Nilan! »

As seen with the Petrys, pandemic restrictions are now adding to the list of factors families are weighing.

“I don’t think the pandemic will help Canadian teams recruit players,” said agent Matt Keator. It’s a question of quality of life. People want more freedom and fewer restrictions. The last two summers have been tough for Canadian teams. »

victory and happiness

All of our contributors agree: a winning organization and an appropriate entourage quickly make you forget the irritants mentioned so far.

In Winnipeg, the Jets have made the playoffs five times in the past seven seasons, and reached the semi-finals in the spring of 2018. Four months later, Blake Wheeler signed a five-year contract extension.

“Blake had long-term relationships with the players, with management, with Paul Maurice. That was his incentive to stay,” says Matt Keator.

When Craig Ludwig landed in Montreal in 1982, he was coming to a team that had just had eight straight 100-point seasons. During his eight years in Montreal, the CH won a Stanley Cup, lost in the final in 1989 and reached the semi-finals twice more.

“I was coming from North Dakota, a very good program. We had won two national championships in three years. I was used to winning,” he recalls.

Joel Otto joined the Flames in 1984, just as their rise to prominence was beginning. They were runners-up in 1986 and champions in 1989.

“The teams weren’t jostling for me,” recalls this undrafted player. I was just grateful the Flames wanted me. It was a different time, salaries weren’t public, and the free agent market wasn’t like it is today. I was just happy here. We had a good team, good owners and a family atmosphere. I had no reason to look elsewhere. »

It should also be noted that during Otto’s time, Canadian teams had won the Stanley Cup seven seasons in a row, from 1984 to 1990. The big trophy has not been won in Canada since 1993, and the Habs have become, last summer, the first Canadian team to reach the final in 10 years. The winning organizations of recent years are therefore necessarily south of the border.