The NHL trade deadline is a time when fans and the media go into an all-out frenzy. But amid the hubbub of teams loading up with new players, there’s a human cost behind the mayhem.
In particular, players changing teams must leave their families or potentially uproot their loved ones and relocate to their cities. For players on expiring contracts, uprooting a family might not be the wisest choice.
But for players with term remaining on their deals, moving their families eventually becomes a consideration. That’s where one of the NHL and NHLPA’s partners has stepped in support traded players and their families during the potential relocation process.
Great Clips, the brand tabbed as the NHL and NHLPA’s official hair salon, has launched a campaign to support transitions following the NHL trade deadline by giving players traded between February 23 and March 6 cards good for free haircuts until the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Haircuts may not necessarily be something that jumps out when a player gets traded to another team. In most cases, common considerations include selling homes, moving young children to new schools, and even being away from family for extended periods.
While a free haircut might not necessarily be a do-or-die situation, it does illustrate that there’s a human side to the NHL trade deadline. And it’s very easy for fans and the media to overlook just how stressful getting traded can be for a player and his family.
NHL Trade Deadline Affects Everyone Around Players
Professional sports tend to make players appear to live in a vacuum. Fans and the media see players perform in their respective environments without really thinking about what lies behind their favorite stars.
The NHL trade deadline is one occasion in which the human side of business jumps to the forefront. Players with trade protection often block trades to certain cities because of family considerations.
Other players, particularly those with young families, often resist trades and block certain deals in hopes of giving their families some stability.
This NHL trade deadline, fans have gotten a sense of players making certain demands clear. One example is the New York Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck. His name has been on the block for a while. And he has made it clear that he wants to stay on the East Coast.
When looking at the family dynamics and logistics, it’s evident why some players have demands like that.
Trade Deadline Quiet for Now
In the meantime, the current buzz around the NHL trade deadline has been quiet. It’s like there’s pent-up momentum in the trade market. The Olympic break did little to increase the pressure on the market.
There’s still hope the animal spirits can return to the trade market by the official March 6 NHL trade deadline. But one has to think that this year’s deadline will be one of the quietest in a long while.
The biggest issue gumming up the works is the fact that there are far more buyers than sellers this season. In markets where supply is scarce, the price invariably goes up. It won’t be until there’s a point of equilibrium where the trades could really fall into line.
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