Thursday night the Canadiens begin their new season without PK Subban -- and some fans refuse to forgive management for trading the star defenceman.
A full-page ad appeared in The Gazette on Thursday, the day of the season opener, from long-time fan Dr. Charles Kowalski, who will not be attending games this season.
"I do not, and will not support, Marc Bergevin and Michel Therrien. And make no mistake, my fellow fans: attending games at the Bell Centre is a vote of confidence in their leadership," states the letter.
The ad is an open letter to PK Subban from "a season ticket holder and lifelong fan" of the Canadiens who feels betrayed by the actions of team management.
"I feel anger, disappointment and embarrassment over the treatment of PK Subban by team management: the same sentiments that many fans felt after the Patrick Roy trade."
The letter goes on to say that Subban was a great player on the ice, always bringing fans out of their seats, who treated the city and the team with respect. More than that, he was someone kids could look up to.
"You are an amazing and influential role model for my children and I am going to miss not having you as a Montreal Canadien."
Last year Subban pledged to raise $10 million for the Montreal Children's Hospital, which named an atrium in his honour. To date he has raised $1.2 million, and until he was traded, was known to visit patients in the hospital almost every weekend.
The letter writer adds that his season tickets for this year will not be used, except on "March 2, 2017 -- when Nashville visits Montreal."
The letter is signed "Dr. CK and family" -- and promises to launch an initiative this year to let Canadiens' management understand how fans feel betrayed by the trade.
Kowalski later spoke to a radio station in Toronto, where he said he was touched by Subban's commitment to not just excel as a hockey player, but to help others as well.
"What I'm trying to bring awareness to is there is something bigger here than hockey and that is the family of children and the Montreal Children's Hospital," said Kowalski.
He added that he was not calling for a boycott of the Canadiens.
"That is not the purpose of the letter. I want to say to Mr. Molson that I'm not asking fans to boycott the Montreal Canadiens."
Kowalski has also launched a fundraising drive for the Children's Hospital at afranchiseheldintrust.com.
The ad has been met with a mixed response from Montreal's sports cognoscenti. TSN announcer Rick Moffat thinks it's time Canadiens fans move on from the June trade of Subban to the Nashville Predators for fellow defenceman Shea Weber.
"PK was such a persona and just so much fun to watch on the ice, it doesn't surprise me that there is still some lingering anger," he said. "But to me, opening day, it's time for a fresh start."
Santana Enrique, manager of memorabilia store Sports Crescent, said he loves the letter.
"I wasn't surprised and was surprised at the same time," he said of the trade. "It takes all this time to manifest their anger. I'm 100 per cent with this guy."
In a city where hockey is often referred to as a religion, it's little surprise that the departure of a star player can stir up intense emotions.
Many still have not forgiven former coach Mario Tremblay and former general manager Rejean Houle for their trade of Roy to the Colorado Avalanche in December, 1995 and others are quick to bring up the trades of Chris Chelios and acquisition of Scott Gomez are dire days in Montreal history.
Still, Mariannopolis College sports management professor Bruno Delorme is convinced the PK hubbub will die down once the real hockey begins.
"If memory servces us well, people will forget," he said. "All it takes is a couple of victories from the Canadiens, maybe a goal or two from Shea Webber, and it will be forgotten."
Subban was traded to the Predators in late June, just two days before the no-trade clause of his contract came into effect.
The 27-year-old Toronto native made his NHL debut with the Habs in 2009 and had played his entire career with the team. He scored six goals and 45 assists in 68 games last season for the Canadiens before suffering an injury.
In exchange the Canadiens got Weber, a 31-year-old defenceman who plays in a gritty style preferred by Bergevin and Therrien.
