"If we can trade him, we can trade anybody": Don Cherry recalls his stark warning to apathetic Bruins players after Phil Esposito's blockbuster trade

Hockey legend Don Cherry reflected on a pivotal moment from his coaching career in the NHL, on his Grapevine podcast.

Cherry recounted the blockbuster trade of Hockey Hall of Falmer Phil Esposito from the Boston Bruins to the New York Rangers on Nov. 7, 1975. The decision to trade Esposito stemmed from Cherry's disagreements with Esposito regarding his playing stayle.

Esposito's playing style was averse to backcheck, which clashed with Cherry's vision for a more physical and defensively-minded team. In the trade, Esposito, along with Carol Valnais, was sent to the Rangers in exchange for Brad Park and Jean Ratelle.

During the podcast, Don Cherry also discussed the blockbuster trade involviing Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes.

"The other big story, dad this week was Colorado traded. One of their star players Rantanen. Been there for a long time. Stanley Cup winner, good friends with MacKinnon, and he went to the Hurricanes. And the players, you can see MacKinnon, and some of the players are upset, so you traded Phil Esposito, been there forever," asked co-host Tim Cherry

"The next day we were practicing in Vancouver, I blew the whistle and nobody moved. I call them in the corner. I said, let's see. I can't say exactly. You can't express yourself like he did back then. But I said, if we can trade Esposito we can trade anybody on this club. Well, Bobby Orr was standing there. This is his first game back," Don Cherry responded.

The moment shared by Don Cherry highlighted the weight of the trade and the message it sent to Bruins players, especially with legend Bobby Orr present for his first game back.

Cherry coached the Bruins for five seasons from 1974-79. During his stint, the Bruins made it to the Stanley Cup final twice but lost to the Montreal Canadiens both times.

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Don Cherry on Connor McDavid's suspension

Cherry shared his views on Connor McDavid's three-game suspension following an incident during the Oilers' 3-2 loss to the Canucks on Jan. 18.

McDavid received the suspension for cross-checking Conor Garland on the side of the head late on. On his Grapevine podcast, Cherry described the situation as "ridiculous," suggesting that Garland played a major role in provoking the Oilers captain's retaliation.

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