1 of 5

Every fan knows that in the world of professional sports, business comes first. In most cases, it is a bad idea to get attached to a particular player because the next year, he could easily be playing somewhere else.

That is what happened with former New Jersey Devils fan-favorite Scott Gomez in 2007.

Gomez was loved by the Devils faithful fans. During his time in New Jersey, Gomez won the Calder Trophy, was selected to an All-Star Game and, most importantly, was a big contributor on two Stanley Cup teams (2000 and 2003).

Probably unbeknownst to the fans however, while Gomez was piling up trophies and points for the Devils, he wanted to be somewhere else.

According to Lindsay Berra of ESPN Magazine, Gomez had "been gazing longingly across the Hudson River from New Jersey since joining the Devils as a rookie in 1999."

That's right, Scott Gomez always wanted to play for the hated New York Rangers. As an unrestricted free agent in 2007, he jumped at the opportunity.

This incident brings up the grey issue of whether players owe anything to their teams and fans outside of giving everything they can on the ice. While most would argue that they do not, Devils fans still felt betrayed when Gomez left for the Rangers.

They let him know their feelings when the Rangers visited New Jersey in 2007, the Devils' first year in the Prudential Center. Gomez was harassed with deafening jeers every time the puck touched his stick.

In the case of Scott Gomez, it can be said that Devils got the last laugh.

Some say that he was only a product of a system in New Jersey. Others that he could never handle the pressures of playing in a major market. One thing is for sure though—Scott Gomez's production began to plummet soon after leaving New Jersey.

Gomez played well for the Rangers for two years before being traded to Montreal. After another decent season with the Canadiens, Gomez went on to score only 11 goals in the last three seasons.

In fact, Gomez's struggles away from New Jersey, paired with the time between 2007 and now, have probably resulted in a softened stance toward the forward from Devils fans.

You will probably never be able to say that about the next player on this list.