Watching the clean-out interviews this season felt a little insane, because every time his name came up, people smiled before they even realized they were doing it.
And every single time someone mentioned him, there it was — the unconscious smile, the fond little pause, that almost dreamy look people get when they talk about someone they genuinely adore. You can't fake that kind of affection.
That's basically how this edit happened.
And then theres Rusty. He basically said out loud something I've been thinking for a while, that Geno has always been underestimated.
Not because people don;t recognize the talent, but because playing next to someone like Sid inevitably changes the way people frame your greatness. And honestly? The same thing probably happens in comparison to Ovi sometimes too.
Rusty actually acknowledging that out loud felt a little insane. Like — man. You really said it.
And what I loved most was that he didn't try to sanitize Geno's personality either. He talked about the temper, the volatility, the emotional side of him — but in a way that made it clear those things are inseparable from the passion that makes Geno… Geno.
Messy, brilliant, destructive, emotional, spectacular. All of it comes together.
And then Rusty had that tiny expression afterwards that basically translated to“me and Geno against the world. What are you gonna do about it?”
Racks and Chinny were genuinely out there smiling about Geno like teenage fangirls trying to act normal.
Racks getting asked what if Geno doesn't come back? and immediately looking emotionally blue-screened absolutely killed me. Brother looked like the concept itself offended him on a spiritual level.
And Chinny is honestly the sweetest part of all this. Because of course he talks about Geno differently — he's a young Russian player who grew up with guys like Geno and Ovi existing as almost mythical hockey figures. So hearing him talk about actually sharing a lockroom with Geno now, being looked after by him, learning from him… his whole tone changes. Softer. Quieter. Like he still can't fully believe this is real.
Karl, as always, gave the sharpest and most brutally honest assessment in the room. But somehow, the most comforting thing anyone said was still his quiet little "I think he's gonna land on his feet and he'll be just fine.”
Anyway. Please just get the contract done soon, before this accidentally turns into a full-on The Late Wife Archives.