Every Montreal Canadiens fan knows the story of Ryan Poehling’s NHL debut, and it’s for good reason as it’s the stuff of legends. Poehling played his first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Montreal’s last game of the season, scoring a hat trick and shootout winner to cap off a frustrating year for the Habs. Coupled with an MVP award from the World Juniors, expectations were soaring for the Minnesota native.
And yet, just three years later, Poehling found himself as a throw-in to a trade that sent Jeff Petry to Pittsburgh for Mike Matheson.