The rescinding of Travis Hamonic's trade request this morning was equally as surprising as the initial leak of the request back in November.
Hamonic, about as down-to-Earth as a professional athlete can be, never seemed like the type to request a trade, which was a move usually reserved for Islanders from a less-enlightened time. But the reason for the request was never about the organization, and was related to an personal family matter that drew him back to his native Manitoba.
All season long, fans and media (and probably some of Hamonic's teammates) assumed that it was just a matter of time before his wish was granted, even as he logged more and more huge minutes for the Islanders in a 100-point, second round of the playoffs season.
Instead, Hamonic granted everyone else's wish by rescinding the request when news that the situation back home was looking up.
In this video posted at the team's site, Hamonic opens up about the conversations he had with general manager Garth Snow both at the time the request was made and when it was repealed today. He speaks with great emotion and relief about the health concerns of a close family member stabilizing, allowing him to rethink his position. Of paramount importance is the well-being of the person to whom Travis is so closely connected.
He also is very clear about his love for and gratefulness towards the Islanders, who helped support him through what was a difficult, draining season. In typical Hamonic style, he sounds almost guilty for taking attention away from the team during a time in which he had some serious worries thousands of miles away. He even thanks media members for their support.
But that's Travis Hamonic: a heart-and-soul guy in the best possible sense of the phrase. I guess the Islanders will just have to keep him. I mean, if he insists.
He wasn't the right fit for another team anyway...