Wouldn’t be surprising at all, because with the Wings you get a team that has proven they will be around contending for at least a few more seasons to come, and have an ownership situation that’s been stable for 20+ years, so no matter what the CBA throws at them, they will always do everything possible to be competitive.

No other team in the league can make that claim.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/17/09 at 02:19 PM ET

Even if the team didn’t have a history of contending - he played the entire year with these players, most of whom will be back next year, and enjoyed the experience.

Why wouldn’t anyone want to keep working in a place where they liked the coworkers and the environment.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/17/09 at 02:34 PM ET

The Pens couldn’t afford him even if they wanted him.

Detroit can keep him.

Posted by DigitalGypsy66 on 06/17/09 at 03:08 PM ET

Hossa had nothing bad to say about his stay in Pittsburgh if I remember correctly, so that wouldn’t be a deterrent. But in the hypothetical and unlikely event of two identical offers from Pittsburgh and Detroit, Hossa would probably select Detroit.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 06/17/09 at 03:20 PM ET

Hossa had nothing bad to say about his stay in Pittsburgh if I remember correctly, so that wouldn’t be a deterrent. But in the hypothetical and unlikely event of two identical offers from Pittsburgh and Detroit, Hossa would probably select Detroit.

I’m not really sure Hossa has ever had anything to say about Atlanta, either.

The guy isn’t a complainer.  He spoke positively about Pittsburgh and I don’t think there’s any bad blood on his part- though, in his shoes, I have to think it’d be hard to go back into a locker room with a tool like Talbot. 

Of course, this is all moot as it isn’t as though the Pens would really consider bringing him back (or that it’d be possible for them to do so financially).

Posted by shanetx on 06/17/09 at 04:49 PM ET

I think he’d stay in Detroit. 

I still say Detroit is the better team.  Don’t get me wrong, Pittsburgh played better, and deserved to win. 

But Detroit was the favourite to win, even though they didn’t.

And if they were to meet in the finals again next year, Detroit would once again be the favourite to win.

Posted by Matt from Sudbury, Canada on 06/17/09 at 05:32 PM ET

But Detroit was the favourite to win, even though they didn’t.

And, for what it’s worth, they’re already the favourite in Vegas to win next year.

Now, onto the article.  It’s kind of a nothing of a question.  First off, Pittsburgh is NOT going to tender him an offer.  Nuff said on that.  Second, he’s aware of the reaction to his signing with Detroit and I’m sure he doesn’t want to be seen as a complete mercenary (which, yeah, I know Pens fans, he already IS, right?).  Third, as he has said himself, he didn’t JUST sign with Detroit to win a cup, he signed to learn from their players, and he’s said that he learned a LOT playing in Detroit this year.

Honestly, if he doesn’t sign in Detroit, I would say that there are two places he won’t sign, and those are Atlanta and Pittsburgh.  I just can’t see Pittsburgh or Hossa even considering it.  And that’s NOT meant to disparage Pittsburgh at all, just to say that, whether he complained or not, he clearly made a decision to NOT re-sign with them, and as he’s said he doesn’t regret not signing with them, why would he sign with them THIS year?

Posted by Garth on 06/17/09 at 05:52 PM ET