Sundin Staying Put After Refusing To Waive No-Trade Clause
Posted February 24, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Mats Sundin is staying put.
The Toronto Maple Leafs captain has refused to waive his no-trade clause after he and agent J.P. Barry met with Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher for several hours.
“I have carefully considered the team’s request that I waive my no-trade clause,” Sundin said in a statement released by his agent J.P. Barry on Sunday night. “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,” Sundin added. “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.”
It ends a drama-filled weekend for the 37-year-old Sundin, who was first approached about waiving his no-movement clause in a meeting with Fletcher on Thursday. Sundin is an unrestricted free agent July 1 and Fletcher had hoped to possibly trade him and recoup some assets to help rebuild the floundering club.
But Sundin kept to his word which he has repeated all season long — he didn’t want to leave the team he has been with for 14 years. Winning a Cup with another club doesn’t mean the same to him.
Sundin and Barry met all day Friday in Toronto and another four hours Sunday in Ottawa. The Leafs play in Ottawa on Monday night, the first of a four-game road trip. And now Sundin knows he’ll be in a Leaf uniform come Wednesday at Florida.
Sundin has 25 goals and 37 assists in 63 games this season. In 970 career games with the Maple Leafs, Sundin has 413 goals and 971 points, both franchise highs.
