The first trade of the Flare Group Hockey League's first off season was made today, with the Hanmer Velocity sending Duncan Keith and Matt Stajan to the Missanabie Bears in exchange for Zach Parise. Both teams shipped off significant players in the deal.Hanmer's general manager, Shaun Sproule, selected Duncan Keith 71st overall in the 11th round of the 2009-2010 FGHL Draft. Keith would place second in scoring among defensemen, and would play a massive role in Hanmer's success. Hanmer would finish second place overall, missing the win by a mere five points in a league that saw a total of 6279 points scored. Sproule expressed significant regret in having to deal the solid defenseman, but presented valid reasoning:
"Duncan Keith played an enormous part in Hanmer's success last season. However, due to the FGHL's cap regulations, Keith's new contract, that will see him make a massive $8,000,000.00 next season, will be far too much to handle. We had no choice but to move him. We wish him the best with the Missanabie Bears, and he will be missed."-Shaun Sproule, General Manager of the Hanmer Velocity
When asked about his inclusion of Matt Stajan in the deal, Sproule had this to say:
"Who? Oh. Him. Yeah, I guess we'll miss him too."-Shaun Sproule, General Manager of the Hanmer Velocity
That brings us to the other side of the deal. The Missanabie Bears, who finished 4th place after a mid-season collapse, sent off their second best scorer, Zach Parise, to Hanmer in exchange for the above-mentioned Keith and Stajan. Julien Bergeron, the team's general manager, chose Parise 4th overall in the 1st round round of the 2009-2010 FGHL Draft. Throughout the season, Bergeron was one of the most active general managers on the trade market, but Parise was the one player that he would never part with under any circumstance; that has changed. With his reasoning, we bring you Julien Bergeron, in an exclusive interview:
FGN: Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Julien.
Bergeron: The pleasure is all mine.
FGN: We have to say, we were relatively surprised to hear that you had agreed to this trade.
Bergeron: Ha ha. Why's that?
FGN: We were there months ago when Devyn Gagnon, general manager of the Hamilton Tigers, inquired about Zach Parise's services. You threw your empty KFC bucket at him and set his car on fire, then ran down Highway 651 in your underwear screaming obscenities.
Bergeron: That wasn't about Parise. He ate my last chicken leg.
FGN: I... see.
Bergeron: The fact of the matter is, after our collapse that saw us drop from first to fourth in what seemed to be a blink of an eye, every player on our roster is now expendable, for a price.
FGN: From what we've been told, it was Sproule that came to you with this deal. What were your reasons for accepting?
Bergeron: Simply put, we had the best defense in the FGHL last season. While Zach Parise was the first player ever on our roster, we couldn't pass up adding Duncan Keith to an already solid core that includes Drew Doughty. Matt Stajan was simply a bonus.
FGN: You definitely now have one of the most intimidating defenses in the FGHL. However, your fans have been sending us emails recently; they wish to know how you're now going to tackle the salary issues you will be facing.
Bergeron: Excuse me? The cap is being raised to $59,400,000.00 next season. We'll be fine.
FGN: Well, you were only a few hundred thousand away from the cap when it was at $56,800,000.00. You traded away Parise, who will make $5,000,000.00 next year, for Keith at $8,000,000.00 and Stajan at $4,500,000.00. Essentially, you've come out of this trade with an extra $7,500,000.00 in lost cap space, which will put you over unless you cut some players by the beginning of the season in October.
Bergeron: Don't be silly, you can't believe everything you read. Where are you getting these numbers?
FGN: Um... Here, in the fax you sent us. See? It says Keith 8M and Stajan 4.5M?
Bergeron: Wait... what? THE M STANDS FOR MILLION?!
FGN: Er... what did you think it meant?
Bergeron: The Roman numeral! A thousand!!
FGN: You didn't think anything was suspicious? Parise was listed on the same document at 5M.
Bergeron: How the hell am I supposed to know what I'm paying Parise?! That's not my job! I'm just the general manager!
FGN: Do you need a minute to sort these thi...
*crash*
We at Flare Group News are truly sorry. We are unable to bring you the rest of the interview, as general manager Julien Bergeron assaulted our interviewer with half a bag of Lays potato chips, then set his own desk on fire while shouting on obscenities. We have received reports of sasquatch attacking vehicles on Highway 651; we are unsure if the two stories are related. We will, however, keep you up to date.
With all this being said, it's clear that the FGHL offseason will be a big one. With the trading period now open, we'll be sure to see many teams making moves as they battle with the cap and prepare for the 2010-2011 FGHL Draft. In addition to this, this offseason will see the first instances of expansion in the league, and the first ever FGHL Expansion Draft. Things are sure to heat up. Stay tuned!
Final Standings (2009-2010 Season):
| Team | Points |
| Kansas City Archangels | 1148 |
| Hanmer Velocity | 1144 |
| Hamilton Tigers | 1108 |
| Missanabie Bears | 1089 |
| Springfield Hell's Satans | 992 |
| Zaza Dancers | 798 |
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