Veteran NHL center Mike Ribeiro racked up 49 points in 48 games with the Washington Capitals last season, but it doesn’t sound like keeping him around is a top priority for the team. Ribeiro is expected to become an unrestricted free agent on July 5.
According to Puck Daddy, the 33-year-old was seeking a five-year deal from Washington. He said after the season that he wants to retire in DC and keep his children there, but the two sides are apparently too far apart to make anything happen. On Monday, Ribeiro’s wife Tamara took to Twitter to vent about the situation.
Nothing like being uprooted from your home for a year for absolutely no apparent reason. #pissedbeyondbelief
— Tamara W Ribeiro (@Angeltw3) July 1, 2013
On Tuesday afternoon, presumably after seeing her tweets making the rounds on the internet, Tamara emphasized that her frustration has to do with the couple’s children.
I didn't mean to sound petty but above and beyond hockey I am a mother of three kids who are devastated. #moneyisnteverything
— Tamara W Ribeiro (@Angeltw3) July 2, 2013
That’s understandable. It’s hard to explain to kids that they have to move to a new city after they got used to their new life and made new friends, but such is life for a professional athlete. The reason people don’t feel badly for the Ribeiro family is that Mike will find a job elsewhere making plenty of money, and children bounce back quickly.
As this MLB player’s wife could tell you, spouses speaking out against teams rarely receives a warm reception.
