BUFFALO, (OTHL) - - And so has it been decided, Chris Pronger will play his next four years in Buffalo. For that he will receive the absolute max in terms of salary and signing bonus, but also a no-trade clause in his contract. Chris Pronger has also been promised top minutes during the entire four years. During a press-conference in Buffalo, Pronger explained his decision to make Buffalo his home.
“It was no easy choice. There were some quality offers coming in early on. My agent and I talked to Toronto and Buffalo who were my two top choices, and we both liked what we heard from both teams. In the end it came down to one simple thing, being able to win the cup. I wish Toronto all the luck, but to me, it feels like Buffalo has a team that can win it next season.” – Pronger said.
After the statement from Chris Pronger, he took the time to answer a handful of questions from the gathered media.
How close did you come to sign for the Maple Leafs?
Really close. My agent and I had a great conversation with Mr. Yu in Toronto yesterday, and it was a tough decision to make.
What was it that convinced you that Buffalo were a better team over Toronto?
Both are good teams. But I like the makeup of the Buffalo Sabres. They have some quality players in Ilja Kovatjuk, Chris Drury, Joni Pitkanen and Marian Gaborik. It’s a team that right now has the players to win the cup. Toronto is maybe a couple seasons away from being a true contender. And that was the top issue for me.
Was the money a deciding factor to why you picked Buffalo?
No, money wise the two offers were as close as they could be. It came down to other factors, as I have explained earlier.
How many offers did you receive in total?
I think it was seven teams that made offers to me, with one of them coming in last night.
Last season you were traded a record number 7 times, and you played for 6 different teams. Was a no-trade clause something you requested to be included in your contract?
Yes, I wanted job security and the ability to be part of any kind of trade decisions regarding myself. So I felt that a no-trade clause was something that I needed in my contract.
Is it true that Atlanta Thrashers made you an offer, despite having traded you twice last season??
Yes, Atlanta made me an offer.
Was there a possibility that you would return to Atlanta?
I am not going to answer that question.
Of the seven offers you received, did any other team come into consideration, besides Toronto and Buffalo?
Yes, I considered all offers, and there were two offers besides the Toronto and Buffalo offers, that felt like good offers. But we narrowed down the list to Toronto and Buffalo in the end, and then after talks we singled out Buffalo.
Will you be able to play with a slug on your jersey?
I like the Sabres jerseys, but I hope that we will use our 3rd jerseys a lot this season.