Nick Suzuki commented on the departure of his good friend Jesperi Kotkaniemi
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Jeff DrouinSeptember 13, 2021 (5:59 PM)
Probably the hardest part of the business that is the NHL is saying goodbye to your teammates after years of being around each other. Sometimes with certain teammates you develop a beautiful friendship and this is the case with Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who will now be rivals on the ice.
KK is now a full member of the Carolina Hurricanes, which saddened Nick Suzuki. However, he remains aware that this is the risk of playing professional hockey.
"This is the point where you realize that the NHL is a business and things like this happen. It's unfortunate that we're losing 'KK,' but [Christian] Dvorak is a good acquisition," Suzuki said on the recording of Sportsnet's "31 Thoughts" podcast.
However, the Canadiens' #14 is familiar with this aspec of the game, having been traded in the past himself: "It's difficult, because he's a good friend of mine, obviously. It's part of the business and I learned that pretty quickly when I was traded from Vegas," Suzuki continued.
Suzuki was asked if KK would have received a negative reception in the locker room if Marc Bergevin had decided to match the hostile offer. The right-hander believes there would have been no discomfort per se.
"I think it would have been okay. He's a very likable guy. He was well liked in the locker room."
In any case, Suzuki won't have to wait long to see his good friend again, as the Habs and the Canes will meet on October 21 at the Bell Centre. If KK's former teammates aren't bitter towards the Finn, we shouldn't expect a warm welcome from the fans...
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