I Never Thought I Would See The Day When Lou Lamoriello Showed A Chink In His Aura

North Jersey- "If you don't have feelings, there's something wrong with you," he said in a telephone interview with The Record last week. "That's the most common denominator in every nationality and every race — feelings. But, you have a focus. You go forward. It's like a loss. You have to get over a loss. You have to get back at it. Or you have to get over a change, you have to get over a disappointment, you have to get over excitements. You have to condition yourself."

"It's normal. It's natural," Lamoriello said. "You don't kid yourself. There's certainly a nostalgia involved that will never leave, should never leave. … If you've had positive feelings and positive memories, why wouldn't you [keep them]?"

"I'm focused on Toronto, but there's no question I've kept track and I'm happy for them," he said. "I think John has done an outstanding job. I'm just pleased for the players and it's not surprising to me with the young players that we had there. I think that was underestimated. … I'm happy for them because they're all good people. They were a part of me for so long I want to see them succeed."



Feelings? FEELINGS?!? Lou Lamoriello has feelings? Stop, I take that back. I think that it's always been pretty obvious that Lou Lamoriello has feelings. After all, he is one of the most loyal, nearly to a fault, people in the entire sports industry. However, he has never admitted to having feelings. Did Lou Lamoriello, the architect behind an NHL franchise that claims ownership of three Stanley Cup Championships, just show us, dare I say it, vulnerability? Say it ain't so Lou, say it ain't so. Maybe this year was the perfect time for Lamoriello to move on, because I don't want a Lou Lamoriello that acknowledges sentimentality. Not on my watch. I want the Lou Lamoriello that not only keeps emotions close to vest, but also puts on two more layers so that no one ever gets to see them. The Lou Lamoriello that always did right by his people, but never had to say so out loud.

Toronto has changed you Lou. Excitement? Disappointment? Those characteristics don't fit the "status quo" philosophy. Lou Lamoriello never had to condition himself. He was too busy conditioning us to expect winning hockey no matter who was on the roster. Being a Devils fan was always about expecting those that wore that classic red and black Devils sweater to succeed, no matter who they were. Granted, that wasn't the case towards the end of his tenure in New Jersey, but that doesn't mean I ever wanted to see Lou Lamoriello change who he was. I can't see Lou go soft. That's like a child watching his Dad get his ass kicked. I'm damn near 30 years old and I have never not thought that Lou was unbreakable. Don't start cracking now Lou. We know this game means a lot to you, just as it means a lot to us, but please, I beg of you, stay in character. If not for your reputation then for the Devils fans that need to retain that omnipresent view of you that we have held so close to our hearts since your fingerprints were all over that first Stanley Cup victory. Don't take the cape off Superman. Don't pull down your beard Santa. There's still a little kid in all of us, and if the Tin Man is finally going to show us his heart then it better be at his retirement ceremony.