Did Marian Hossa Make the Wrong Decision?

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline from the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins was Marian Hossa. Hossa was a key member of the 2008 Penguins team that lost in the finals to the Red Wings in six games. Less than a month later, he spurned the Penguins by signing a one-year contract with Detroit, hoping that the Wings would give him a better chance to hoist the cup than did the Pens. This time around, it was the Penguins who prevailed in a thrilling seven game series, once again leaving Hossa as a spectator as the opposition celebrated the championship victory. This raises the obvious question: did Hossa make a mistake when he elected to leave Pittsburgh in favor of Hockeytown?

On the surface, the logic behind his decision was sound. While Pittsburgh was a great team in 2008, and certainly the elite team from the Eastern Conference, the Stanley Cup showed that the Pens were not quite performing at the level of the Red Wings. By joining the better team, Hossa would add to Detroit's superiority, making them the clear favorite to repeat. Furthermore, he would be playing under Mike Babcock, who is widely regarded as one of the elite coaches in the league. Hossa appeared to be a perfect fit in Detroit's system, which largely favors skilled, two-way players.