"Oh my God."

"this is not happening. this is NOT HAPPENING"

"Just give the cup to LA now, season's done"

"ONE PICK? for a top 10 forward we got ONE PICK back?"

"friendship ended with monarchs, panthers are my best friend now"

These comments, and more than six hundred others expressing the same collection of sentiments, remain underneath the article on The Throne Room that broke the dreadful news of Alexi Piastri's departure from the Minnesota Monarchs. Calling it an unpopular move would be a desperate understatement - practically nobody in the fanbase was happy. Some few pointed out that Alexi had already made it clear he wanted to test free agency and, under the circumstances, a second round pick and retained salary was a relatively good return but, as is the wont of an unhappy Internet lynch mob, they were shouted down and bullied into submission.

Los Angeles and Minnesota have played twice already, splitting honours with a win apiece, but with the Panthers still looking for the extra gear they will need to challenge the top tier of teams come the postseason all eyes will be on February 6th, when Alexi comes home again. Ahead of that game, we've been canvassing Monarch fans over the last week to ask about the icon in 17 and their fondest memories of his time in the State of Hockey.

When did you first see Alexi play?
Shane H: "His first game. It was so hype, don't think he scored but he looked so ****ing sharp. Whoever the other team was looked frightened and they were right to."

Andi J: "I only moved here from Wyoming last year so I never got to see him in person, does watching on TV count? Like, he was my favourite player from the first game til the last, I cried when he left."

Jordan C: "In juniors. I saw him score 4 against Quebec City the year after we picked him and I got him to sign my hat, see? Never washed this thing! Stinks of beer and sweat but I never washed it and ain't never gonna."

When did you first think he was going to be a Minnesota legend?
Shane H: "Like I said, his first game. No doubt in my mind."

Alejandro N: "It took me a few games. I watched a lot of young players look great in juniors and win everything and then be miserable in the big leagues. I was skeptical, I'm not now."

Daphne B (wearing a #17 Piastri jersey): "Right away, all day baby! WOO!"

Andi J: "End of the first season. I had a crush on him straight away though."

Jordan C: "Eh, legend takes a bit of time. He crushed it and I would take him back like that, but legend is a big word. If he brought us a cup then hell yeah, but...iunno, feels wrong."

Looking back, how do you feel about the trade now?
Alejandro N: "Still hate it. Second round pick and some money for one of the best players we ever had just feels wrong, man. We better slam that pick to make up for it, grand slam home run or nothing."

Shane H: "It stings. But AP was going, we all knew it was going to happen, at least this means he gets a shot to go to a decent team and take a run at a cup and a ring. Anyone who's still *****ing about it hasn't had a dead-end job."

Andi J: "You gotta be positive! Can't spell PMA without AP."

Thomas T: "To be honest, I wish he'd never said anything about free agency. It's the one thing I didn't like about it all, you say that and it makes it 10 times harder to get something good."

Will you root for the Panthers in the playoffs?
Jordan C: "I dunno about root for but, sure, it'll be nice to see him win."

Daphne B: "Hell nah! Lexi is great but I be dead before I cheer for that dude in their goal."

Thomas T: "Maybe. As a third team. My husband supports Edmonton so if we don't make it or get knocked out, our house is a Blizzard house."

The Monarchs have piled up a lot of prospects in the last few years. Who do you think is going to be the biggest difference maker in the next few years?
Jordan C: "[Xavier] Beausoleil. He doesn't have a single weak area and he's been huge for Colorado. If anybody can come in and change the way we look it's gonna be him."

Andi J: "I'm a total goalie hound, definitely Jimmy Wen."

Alejandro N: "The defensemen. Bart, Simo, JP, one of them has got to turn into a bruiser because that's what we need. You're nothing without some grit and some grind on the roster."

There are teams in the league as it stands who are clearly trying to hit rock bottom and build back up from there. Would you support the Monarchs if the staff tried to do the same?
Daphne B: "**** no. Who the **** wants to go watch a team get the **** kicked outta them for 66 games?"

Thomas T: "No. It's not a tactic that can guarantee you success, if it was everybody would do it, and I can't imagine anything worse than trading everything with some value, turning into the ultimate bottom feeder and then never actually lift the cup after all."

Shane H: "There's deffo things the GM could do to improve but that ain't one of them."


[965 words, go Panthers]