Former Bruin Openly Criticizes his Former Organization for its Lack of Class
The 36-year-old veteran, Anton Stralman, has decided to end his career in the NHL and to play for HV71 in the SHL next year. The defenseman recently gave an interesting interview to a Swedish journalist, discussing his 16 seasons in the NHL.
Having played nearly 1000 games in the NHL, Stralman has fond memories of his time with the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, his experience in Boston was quite the opposite. In fact, the defenseman admitted that his last year with the Bruins was awful and that the organization showed him a great lack of respect.
Anton Stralman clearly indicated to the Bruins' general manager that he did not want to be a "rental player" and that he wanted to be part of the team's success when he signed his one-year contract.
Although Don Sweeney agreed to the veteran's requests, the defenseman only played a few games with the team before being benched for nearly two months. Eventually, Stralman was sent down to the minors and played for the Providence Bruins in the AHL for the remainder of the season.
Stralman went on to mention that his last year with the Bruins was a perfect example of what players go through in the NHL.
They say one thing and sell one thing, and then it doesn't matter a few months later. It's tough." - Anton Stralman
Despite the challenges, Anton Stralman had an excellent career in the NHL, amassing 293 points in 938 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, and Boston Bruins.
We wish him the best of luck with HV71 in the Swedish league next year!
Credits: Expressen and Fanadiens
| POLL | ||
Do you believe that NHL players are sometimes mistreated? | ||
| Yes | 54 | 67.5 % |
| No | 26 | 32.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
