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Former NHL General Manager shares a story about how he traded a player to the worst place possible 'so he could suffer' after he complained about the weather

Published March 3, 2023 at 11:18
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National Hockey League players are billed as some of the toughest athletes in the world, but it would appear that some players can't handle the heat, at least in terms of weather, in Tampa Bay.


Phil Esposito disclosed in an interview that when he was President and General Manager with the Tampa Bay Lightning a player came to him to ask for a trade because wait for it

It was too hot..it's too nice.. it's too hot.



Eventually, Esposito traded that player without hesitation.

Now, the players name was never disclosed however a quick search suggests it may have been Jeff Bloemberg who was shipped out for future considerations.

Esposito who appears to be flabbergasted by the request and the reasoning behind it finishes with two final thoughts which are gold

I eventually traded him to Edmonton because I wanted him to freeze his ass off, I wanted to make him suffer because c'mon, we play indoors.

While this situation seems comical on the surface, it does happen quite frequently. You hear rumors that players would rather not play in Winnipeg because it's cold and boring and many others would rather play in a smaller market so they can just go about their business and not have a microscope on them at all times.
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March 3   |   353 answers
Former NHL General Manager shares a story about how he traded a player to the worst place possible 'so he could suffer' after he complained about the weather

Should a player ask for a trade if the city they play in is too hot or too cold?

Yes, ask for a trade for whatever you want8724.6 %
No, just be happy you have a job26675.4 %
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