Trading a team captain rarely goes over well.
When the then-Atlanta Flames traded captain Tom Lysiak to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of an eight-player deal (the biggest transaction in league history at the time) during the 1978-79 NHL season, the move was derided across the Flames’ fan base.
For the next seven seasons, Lysiak would garner similar praise in Chicago for consistently being one of the team’s top scorers while also handling a commitment to a two-way game.
Lysiak was a No. 2 overall pick in the 1973 NHL Entry Draft and joined the Flames that winter for the franchise’s second season of existence.