Avalanche trade Bernie to Blue Jackets for Stinger

Talk about a blockbuster mascot trade nobody saw coming.

The Colorado Avalanche traded mascot Bernie to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for mascot Stinger on Friday.

Bernie, a St. Bernard, spent 13 seasons with the Avalanche making his NHL debut on October 3rd, 2009. Stinger, a bright green bug, has been with the Blue Jackets since their inaugural season in 2000.
The Avalanche and Blue Jackets thanked their mascots for their service.

The mascots didn't take the news of the trade so well.
Stinger originally "threw his hands up in the air and said nothing because of his inability to talk"
when reached for comment by the Blue Jackets website
. He later calmed down and sent out a note on his Twitter.
"It's been real. It's been fun. You could say it's been real fun," Stinger wrote. "We're all in shock. There is a ton I could say. But I have to learn to snowboard."

Bernie voiced his displeasure about the trade on Twitter.
"I think I got the short end of this stick, and I know sticks," Bernie wrote.

No word on when their first games with their new teams will be…it would be foolish to think soon.