For fans and fantasy-leaguers, NHL trade deadline moves are the stuff of fevered speculation peppered with a range of emotions: skepticism, disbelief, joy or sorrow, depending on point of view. But for players, these midseason deals shoot real fire and (often) cause real pain.
Alex Prewitt tells the story of how a deadline trade affects those involved, beginning with how players learn the news, sometimes from the media.
St. Louis Blues forward Craig Conroy was sitting in his room in Philadelphia, watching deadline day coverage with the front end of a back-to-back series beginning that night.