On June 21, 2012, a report created waves around the NHL.
According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger, Pittsburgh Penguins center Jordan Staal turned down a ten-year, $60 million contract extension with the team.
Though Staal still had another year left on his four-year, $16 million deal with the Pens, the writing was on the wall for then-Penguins general manager Ray Shero; Staal would not be a Penguin for long.
That “for long” ended up being a little more than one day.
On June 22, 2012, the first night of the 2012 NHL Draft, league commissioner Gary Bettman went to the podium in Consol Energy Center (now PPG Paints Arena) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and said a series of words that I likely won’t ever forget hearing on my television:
“We have a trade to announce.