It's been about twenty-four hours since news broke that Marian Hossa signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. He took less money and terms than what was rumored to be offered to him on the open market. The rich just got richer. Add Hossa to a lineup with Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom among others, and well, you've got your 2009 Stanley Cup champions.

The feelings in Pittsburgh are those of being on the worse end of a breakup. It was a short fourth-month relationship, but the Steel City embraced Hossa so much that the 29-year old Czech brushed aside his previous postseason issues and posted a 12-goal and 26-point performance during the playoffs.

After hearing Hossa speak during the Stanley Cup Finals, Pittsburgh Penguin fans were confident he would re-sign and spend his prime years playing alongside Sidney Crosby.

Since 12:30 pm ET yesterday when the announcement began flying across the Internet, the reaction from these fans has not been pleasant.

Let's Go Penguins.com message boards:
"AlexPKeaton: I have no respect for Ho$$a at all."

BigK at Penguins That Fly:
"Hope he fails horribly, maybe suffers a career ending injury there."

ThePensBlog:
"It's almost as if we should retire that x=Stunned equation. It doesn't do this situation justice."

Justin Maffei, Faceoff Factor:
"Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins should have a bitter taste in their mouth after Hossa rejected their offers for Detroit. Marian Hossa essentially told them that he thought they did not have a chance to win a rematch with the Stanley Cup Champions."

Michael Dell, LCS Hockey:
"Yeah, it may seem like the Wings are locks to repeat as champs now that they've got Hossa alongside Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, but not so fast, my friend. Karma ain't no joke. Hossa is one knee injury away from pissing away $50 million. And it couldn't happen to a better guy."

And then, there's this video, with a stick tap to ThePensblog for the find:

What's funny is that now that wingers Ryan Malone and Hossa have left, Penguin fans are now holding vigil for a Jaromir Jagr return. The same Jaromir Jagr that is booed every time he touches the puck inside Mellon Arena. The same Jagr that left a bad taste in the mouths of Pittsburgh'ers when he left for greener pastures.

Isn't ironic that Hossa is now taking the wrath of Penguin fans for taking less money, and Jagr is being welcomed back with open arms? 

To paraphrase Rick James on Chappelle's Show, "Free agency's a helluva drug."

Related: Stanley Cup Playoffs, Hockey Fans, Puck Videos, Rumors, scuttlebutt, innuendo, Crosby vs. Ovechkin vs. Malkin