The NHL is a lot more than just the game of hockey; it is a very complex business. Players, agents and general managers all go through the brutal process of negotiating contracts. In recent years, it has become more popular for negotiations to become longer and more strategic.
Gerry Johannson, agent of Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher, told TSN that contract talks between his client and the Canadiens had “broken off”. While this is not exactly uncommon, what happened in the next 24 hours does not happen very often. On Thursday afternoon, the Montreal Canadiens announced via Twitter that they had come to terms with Gallagher on a six year, $39M contract. This was very surprising.
How did things change?
When news came out that talks had “broken off”, the hockey world was buzzing. It led to rumors and theories surrounding Gallagher. Some thought Gallagher’s time in Montreal was done, which was a fair assumption. Others saw it as a pressure tactic by Gallagher’s agent and it is now, that is a strong argument.
Agent Gerry Johannson likely knew, by releasing this statement to the media, it would put a significant amount of pressure on Canadiens GM, Marc Bergevin. This is an example of how in 2020 social media can manipulate anyone in our society. Whether it is sports or politics, social media is a part of our lives and people will utilize it to give themselves an advantage. Whether it’s the truth or a lie, social media can and will have an impact, and there are studies to prove it. In the case of the NHL, players, agents and general managers can learn a lot from what transpired in Montreal this week.
Samuel Mattie
Sport, Not Games ⚽ 