Heatley was born in Germany, where his father, Murray, played professionally, but he grew up in Calgary and welcomed a trade to a Canadian team. In Ottawa, the hockey-mad capital of Canada, Heatley can submerge himself in the game.
"The city welcomed him from the first day he was in here," Ottawa General Manager John Muckler said. "He was a Canadian boy. The enthusiasm in our community was tremendous when we had our press conference. And from that day, that kind of told me that we'd made the right choice."
Heatley proved to be a perfect fit for Muckler. The Senators could not afford to re-sign right wing Marian Hossa, and Heatley's agent, J.P. Barry, suggested to Waddell that a Heatley-for-Hossa trade might work.
After Hossa agreed to a three-year, US$18 million deal with Ottawa, he was traded with defenseman Greg de Vries for Heatley, who then agreed to a three-year, US$13.5 million contract with the Senators.
Hossa had scored 29 or more goals in each of the previous five NHL seasons. But in those five seasons, the Senators were eliminated from the playoffs by their most hated rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, four times.
"Getting Heatley was a blessing in disguise, really," Muckler said. "Our team was a little bit stagnant. Our team needed some new personnel. It maybe needed a shock. The trade gave us another dimension."
Hossa is tied for 11th in the league with 42 points on 17 goals and 25 assists for Atlanta this season. Heatley started the season by scoring at least one point in 22 consecutive games, an Ottawa franchise record. Waddell was asked if it was hard for him to watch Heatley excel while his Thrashers (15-16-5) struggled.
"My wife and daughter and I talk about it all the time," Waddell said. "My 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea, follows his career. He was one of her favorites. And when he had the streak going, the next morning my daughter would ask, `Did he keep the streak alive?"'
Waddell added: "I know him as a hockey player, but I know him more even as a person. And he's a good person. He's had some tough situations, some tough luck, as far as what he had to go through. But he is a good person. We wish him nothing but the best."
Whether Thrashers fans will be as gracious remains to be seen. Heatley is scheduled to return to Atlanta on Jan. 2 for the first time since the trade.
"I don't think it's going to be strange," Heatley said. "I'm just happy to go back. I'll see some friends, and we'll play a hockey game. That's basically it. I'm going to treat it as any other game. I have to."
Heatley was then asked if he would be hurt if he were booed.
"No," he said. "They're the fans. They pay for their ticket. They can do what they want."
Senators center Bryan Smolinski characterized Heatley as unemotional.
"Nothing bothers him, and that's pretty amazing, considering what he went through," Smolinski said. "And we noticed that from Day 1."
Heatley was not the only one who had to go through the ordeal in Atlanta.
"There's not too many days that can ever go by without me personally thinking about the situation and Dan Snyder and his family," Waddell said. "Regardless of where Dany Heatley's playing, that's going to live with us the rest of our lives."
RSS