“I can’t wait until it’s over,’’ said the Bruins’ Shawn Thornton. “I know fans love it. But we’re talking about lives and families.’’ — Boston Globe

Well no, Shawn. Not all hockey fans love trade deadline day. There are actually a significant number of us who feel the same way you do. That the Santa of “Hockey Christmas” is actually the Grinch, sneaking down our chimneys and stealing our beloved toys right out from under the tree.

Yes, yes, we know that all trades are made for the benefit of the team, whether it be for the long term or the short run. We also know that surgery is something done for the good of the patient, but that doesn’t mean we enjoy it.

Being a fan is an emotional investment. With many of these players, we see them get drafted, come up through the system, watch them grow as players and as people. We root them on in the bigs, celebrate their landmark accomplishments, buy their jerseys, catch their eyes from behind the glass and share a smile. We can’t — well, I can’t — look at them as “chips,” and eagerly anticipate losing them. They wear the spoked-B (or the Indian head, or the winged wheel); they are OUR GUYS.

And though their departure may make our team better, we can’t anticipate it with cheerful giddiness. We can only watch somberly, stomach churning, as the clock ticks down. We can’t wait until it’s over.