What does a player consider when he's traded? What does he take? What does he leave? Who does he talk to? Morgan Klimchuk details his trade story.
Pack your bags! You've been traded!
Fans rarely get any insight into what a player's life is like in the immediate aftermath of being traded. Most jobs don't require you to pick up and leave your house and family within 12 hours to relocate. Professional athletes haven such luxury as the acquiring team wants them in the lineup as soon as possible.
They have to pack a few suits, some clothing for going out, toiletries, paperwork and whatever odds and ends they'll need until they get the rest of their stuff. In some cases, a player's partner will stay behind and pack the apartment, settle the affairs and work with the team liaison to move. If a player is single, they may get some help from the team in terms of vehicle transportation and moving aid. Most teams leave it up to the player which usually means, nothing gets done until the end of the season.
So, what happens between the trade call and a the team's new player getting into the lineup? Morgan Klimchuk walks us through being traded from Calgary (AHL) to Toronto (AHL) and the process of getting from Stockton to Toronto.