P.K. Subban Revamps National Reputation With New Jersey Devils

When the New Jersey Devils acquired P.K. Subban from the Nashville Predators at the 2019 NHL Draft, fans went nuts. Subban was one year removed from a Norris Trophy nomination, and as soon as he recovered from his back injury, we expected him to be back to normal. There was one issue with Subban. He didn’t have the best reputation around the league.

It didn’t always make the most sense. It seemed like the national media just didn’t vibe with Subban. It didn’t matter the major charity work he did. He just had this strange reputation. People would lower him in rankings. It seemed like he didn’t get as much love for being one of the best players in the league.

Then, something wild happened. He wasn’t nearly as good with the Devils. In fact, he pretty much tanked in his first season in New Jersey. The Devils had no other options for the top line, so they forced Subban in that position every single night. When he couldn’t overcome his loss of agility, he had trouble adjusting his game.

However, while his NHL game wasn’t where it needed to be, his public relations game was at an all-time high. Not only did he continue his immense philanthropy, but he also started showing more of his true personality. The Devils did a masterful job of putting Subban in front of the camera in the best possible ways. Ignoring that initial press conference with the Ric Flair-style robe, the Devils put Subban on many different mediums, and they were all fun.

Whether he was doing play-by-play for a video game tournament, hosting a charity event, doing dances in the locker room, or putting out content for the latest social media platform that’s popular, Subban was becoming more likeable by the day. Honestly, this was probably who he always was as a player. Between Lindy Ruff’s player-friendly attitude and the very young roster around him, Subban was becoming a fan favorite. It’s wild since his on-ice production had plummeted.

Then, ESPN started putting Subban on their playoff coverage. Subban has always been somewhat in the media sphere, but ESPN made him a regular. And he was good!

It all hit a head when he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy this past season. Despite giving millions of dollars to children’s hospitals, spending real time trying to bring children in need things they actually need, working with police to help bring communities together, and a long long list of other charity work, Subban was only nominated for the King Clancy Trophy once before his time with the Devils. The Devils nominated him every single season he was here.

We all assumed as Subban started to bring a different voice to our hockey broadcasts that he had a great future in media. We just assumed he had a lot of hockey left in him. He announced his retirement on Tuesday at the age of 33. He clearly gave it a lot of thought, being that it’s just about a week from training camps coming in. The Devils traded for John Marino this offseason, taking any chance for Subban to return away. He reportedly looked at some other opportunities, but he ultimately decided his best bet would be to hang up his skates.

Now, everyone is celebrating Subban. People are looking back in awe of his accomplishments. The national media is lifting him up as a massive success. Just three or four years ago, that wasn’t how the national lens looked at Subban. The Devils did a lot to help his legacy.