Bobby Holik left the Devils in a huff and for $9 million a year in 2002, still seething over a nasty arbitration hearing and Lou Lamoriello’s failure to sign him. He left because of the way Lamoriello treated him, and he returned this offseason because of the way Lamoriello treats his players.
“Lou. That’s the deciding factor,” Holik said. “What I like is that it’s professional in its structure. No matter how talented the players are, they put the team first. We’ve had some talented players before who didn’t put the team first and they didn’t last.”
He does not deny that he was angry, then.
“At the moment, yeah, but afterwards, what a great learning experience,” Holik said. “I highly recommend it to other players. Just like general managers, agents, the players should be educated, and I learned something about the game.”
And he doesn’t deny that some of that anger was directed at Lamoriello.
“I don’t want to go back to that. It wasn’t necessarily about the arbitration. I was not mad in the sense of being disrespectful. I had a high desire to stay here, and it just didn’t work out,” Holik said. “The whole thing is a learning experience, and I’m better off for it as a player.”
Holik was bought out by the Rangers after the lockout and signed by the Thrashers, for whom he served as captain last year. He is playing on a one-year, $2.5 million deal this season. What the future holds, he doesn’t know, but he says he likes being back.
“This is a different role. I enjoy being on a good team,” Holik said.