Like the rest of the hockey world, former Blackhawk Teuvo Teravainen was stunned when he heard general manager Stan Bowman had traded him along with Bryan Bickell to the Hurricanes for a pair of draft picks.
“It was just a normal day,” Teravainen said Thursday in an email. “I was watching soccer on TV and then Stan called me and told me that I have been traded to Carolina. It was a surprise for me. I didn’t think they were going to trade me. But I knew they had problems with the cap.”
So much that the Hawks’ price to pay for moving Bickell’s $4 million per season salary-cap hit was to trade the promising Teravainen, a 21-year-old who had just completed his first full NHL season.
Bickell said Wednesday he was “relieved” the Hawks were finally able to trade him. Teravainen was riled up by the news, but now that he has had time to process the trade, he sees there is good in it for him.
“(Thursday) when I have calmed down little bit I think it might be a good thing for me and I am really excited to go to Carolina,” Teravainen said.
Teravainen never had a consistent role with the Hawks. He was asked to jump around all positions and play on each line. Perhaps in Carolina, Teravainen, a first-round pick in 2012, will have the time and freedom to allow his game to blossom and fulfill the promise many see in him.
“I had an awesome time in Chicago and I want to thank everyone who made my time easy and fun in Chicago,” Teravainen said. “Great team, great organization, great fans and Stanley Cup, but now it’s time to move on.”
