Who could forget the famous trade between the Montreal Canadiens and the Dallas Stars involving Mike Ribeiro and Janne Niinimaa? Mike was labeled as a troublemaker, and rightfully so, but his replacement was no different.
Now, the Finnish player is facing a five-year suspended prison sentence, as he is charged with serious tax fraud in Finland.
According to our information, the former defenseman is accused of intentionally failing to pay his taxes for several years and is facing criminal charges. To make matters worse, he reportedly did not appear at his court hearing, adding to the charges against him.
So, the Canadiens traded an excellent hockey player in Ribeiro for a universally disliked defenseman who is now in legal trouble. I don't know about you, but I would have preferred to keep Ribeiro. Despite his well-known problems, he knew how to play hockey.