Over here at Second City Hockey, we were pretty shocked when the Blackhawks traded Teuvo Teravainen to the Hurricanes on Wednesday. Apparently, we weren’t alone. In an interview with Chicago Tribune’s Chris Hine, Teravainen said that he didn’t think the Hawks would trade him, but understood the realities of the business.
“It was just a normal day,” Teravainen told Hine via 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.”
While fans still get over the disappointment of his departure, Teravainen had some kind words for the fans and the Blackhawks organization.
“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.”
The 21-year-old forward also said that he thinks moving to Carolina could be good for him and he’s excited to join the ‘Canes. Presumably one of the things that’s most appealing about Carolina is the opportunity to grab a steady top-six role that never came together for him in Chicago.