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It’s official: Chicago sends Cristobal Huet to the Swiss league

Cristobal Huet

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Cristobal Huet, from France, looks for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alberta, on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

AP

One of the worst-kept secrets in the NHL is finally out there in that open, as the Chicago Blackhawks officially moved expensive goalie Cristobal Huet off of their roster today, according to Chris Kuc.

Meanwhile, veteran goaltender Cristobal Huet cleared waivers and has officially been loaned to Fribourg-Gotteron SA of the Swiss National League A. The Hawks will still have to pay Huet his $5.625 million per season salary but it will not count against the NHL’s salary cap.

While their offense will have some new faces and their defense will largely be the same, the Blackhawks will be 100 percent different next season. Antti Niemi will take his Stanley Cup ring to the San Jose Sharks while Huet will be relegated to Swiss league obscurity in favor of the cap-friendlier pairing of Marty Turco and Corey Crawford.

Don’t feel too bad for Huet, though. He still will receive that hefty $5.625 million salary and probably will get a little extra money from Fribour-Gotteron SA to boot. I empathize with the competitor within Huet, but that’s just the business of the game.