Two days before the NHL's February 26th trade deadline, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin has told Leafs management he will not waive his "no-movement" clause to facilitate a trade.
As per TSN's website, Sundin issued the following statement:
"I have carefully considered the team's
request that I waive my no-trade clause," Sundin said in a statement.
"I have always believed I would finish my career as a Toronto Maple
Leaf so the actual request was still a very difficult one for me to
contemplate."
"I have spoken to and listened to my family and those closest to me
about this issue. In the end, there is no right decision in a situation
like this one."
"I cannot leave my teammates and join another NHL Club at this time.
I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my
belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can
achieve in hockey but for me, in order to appreciate it you have to
have been part of the entire journey and that means October through
June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision."
In an era when professional athletes often appear to be like mercenaries, bouncing from team to team in search of the best contract or the best team with which to win a championship, Sundin has decided he cannot in good conscience leave the team and the city where he's played 13 of his 17 NHL seasons.
I believe he's to be commended for his loyalty to the Leafs and the city of Toronto, but I'm sure there'll be a considerable number of Toronto pundits and Maple Leafs fans who'll feel otherwise.
Regardless, the biggest name believed available in the NHL trade market heading into the trade deadline is definitively off the block, and it remains to be seen what impact it will have in the remaining hours leading to Tuesday's 3 PM ET deadline.
I honestly don't begrudge the man for doing what his heart tells him, but I also don't think the word loyalty belongs in this article.
Truly, if he was being "loyal" wouldn't he put the needs of the team before his wants? Seems to me that being loyal is helping the team. He isn't being loyal by staying when they're asking him to leave.
Don't get me wrong, I completely understand his decision and don't have a real problem with it, I just think it's interesting that people keep going on about loyalty.
As a Leaf fan I respect what he has done for the team and the city, and the reasons that he is staying. I have grown into a huge Sundin fan and was looking forward to cheering for Sundin on whatever team he traded to during the playoff run.
That said I am very frustrated with the situation. It is clear that the Leafs need to rebuild and as long as Sundin is in a Leaf uniform he will keep the Leafs semi-competitive and unable to get the top prospects that we need yearly for the next few years to rebuild properly.
In the current state of the NHL you cannot really build a team from free agency you require the draft. So until Sundin is off the team the process will not really begin.
Also I felt if Sundin dropped his no trade clause others Leafs might follow thinking its the end of era(well with primary core).
That said hopefully Fletcher manages to shed the contracts of other top Leaf players so the Leafs can tank and rebuild. Otherwise the long Leaf rebuilding process will be 6+ years instead of the 3 they could be if they had a complete overhaul.
No one forced the Toronto brass to sign Sundin to a contract including an NTC. I don't think he should somehow feel pressured to try to further help Toronto by agreeing to a rental trade somewhere. It's actually rather embarrassing that the assumption is once again that the Leafs have to trade away whatever they have to get over the hump. That strategy has panned out really well the last several seasons, eh?
Sundin has earned the right to take his contract out to the end, and fans ought to take a minute and applaud his consistent efforts rather than whine about financial flexibility. Did he sign Hal Gill or Pavel Kubina or Andrew Raycroft? No. Has he ripped the team or the horrific management? No. So do yourself a favor and enjoy the opportunity to watch one of the classiest players in the game, even if it's not on a particularly good team. Be glad that you have at least one player who can't wait to get out of town.
One day after my 14th birthday and I decided to watch the NHL draft for the first time ever, maybe something memorable would happen. Well, it wasn’t long before they were announcing the trade of Mats Sundin, 1st round pick and change to Toronto for Wendel Clark, a 1st round pick and change.
I was devastated, shocked! Sure, Clark had the wrist shot and would drop the gloves if needed, (He’d laid a beating on Marty McSorely the year before) but could he stay healthy for an entire month, let alone season?
I’ve often times wondered how it’d have turned out if he’d have stayed and played with Sakic, Forsberg, Kamensky, Nolan, Hejduk, Tanguay, etc.
That is one of my earliest memories of Sundin, big trades, and mixed emotions.
I’d like to commend Sundin, I agree with his statement, about playing the entire season trying to win, not trying to latch on to someone else’s success.
Sundin deserves to do whatever he wants. A player of his caliber would have had a NTC on any team, in any market, so that he has one and exercised it is no surprise. A new GM will have a tough job, to be sure, but hopefully the challenge will lure in someone worth their salt.
It was a lose-lose situation for Sundin say the Leafs didn’t approach him and ask him to waive his NTC but instead Sundin approaches management and asks to be trade then all we would hear would be how he is bailing on the team when they are in need.
I’ve never been a huge Sundin fan probably because I’m a Habs fan and I’m not supposed to like any Leafs. One thing is for sure he is arguably the classiest player to grace the ice how many 37 year olds would turn down a chance to win their 1st Stanley Cup I’m guessing it’s a handful at best but he understands that it’s not the same to get a free ride.
I feel bad for Sundin no player should have to go through this much #### just for doing what he signed his contact for. It use to be a big deal to get a NTC now a days approx 1 in 6 players has a NCT. Hopefully this will open GM’s eye and they will stop handing out NTC like free condoms at sexual health clinic.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
