Dougie Hamilton believed he was 'going to be a Bruin for life'
Flames defenseman Dougie Hamilton apparently had a dream as a young lad. To one day have a Canadian flag on the shoulder of his jersey.
“Right now with the Canadian flag on my shoulder I'm really excited and it's a dream come true,” Hamilton said at one of those incredibly not-awkward jersey-wearing news conferences introducing him to Calgary.
In the above photo that appears to be Dougie with his eyes closed, along with Flames GM Brad Treliving and new Flame Michael Frolik.
But it was also a moment he said he thought may never happen. Mostly because he thought he would stay with the Bruins his whole career.
That was before the B's shipped him to Calgary for a few draft picks. And then after the deal, a Boston media member talked to an anonymous non-Bruins staffer who called Hamilton “uppity”.
Shall we call this the “Thornton Treatment” or the “Seguin Treatment” or something like that ... when a player (gasp) actually leaves the majestic city of Boston and gets punched in the gut after it happens.
“I always thought I was going to be a Bruin for life and always had that vision that I was only going to wear one jersey in the NHL,” Hamilton said. “I’m really thankful to that organization for the opportunity I got my first few years and the development I got and everything, so it’s an organization ... the fans are unbelievable and teammates and everything. It’s something I enjoyed a lot being there.”
He also said he was pumped to be back in Canada, which seemed to be the major talking point of the news conference. Hamilton will have that Canadian flag on his shoulder – provided Calgary doesn’t change its jersey – for at least six years to be exact. That's the length of his new contract.
With Mark Giordano reportedly asking for around $9 million in his next contract – he’s an unrestricted free agent next summer – Hamilton’s arrival couldn’t come at a better time.
Said Daily Today's Slapshot:
Many teams are looking for a top-pairing defenseman, so the price would be pretty high despite his pending UFA status. With Hamilton and T.J. Brodie in the lineup, the need for Giordano isn’t as great anymore despite him being an excellent player. If you lock him up for eight years at a cap hit around $9 million, it could make things difficult in the long run for the Flames.
So welcome to Alberta, Canadian Dougie, the "uppity" Boston misfit.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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