Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling are very happy to join the Penguins

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“Since day 1 since I arrived here, it has been a special place and it is a privilege to put on that uniform of so much history. I’ve learned that over my four and a half years so far how much pride I take in wearing that uniform every day.”

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That’s what Jeff Petry said less than two years ago, in September 2020, when he signed a four-year, $25 million contract extension to stay with the Canadiens.

Petry could have become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-21 season, but he opted to stay in Montreal long-term.

Petry also passed up free agency and the opportunity to leave Montreal when he signed his previous contract, a six-year, $33 million deal, after the 2014-15 season. It was his first season with the Canadiens after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers just before the NHL trade deadline that year.

“My family, my wife and I made the decision that we really wanted to come back (to Montreal) and we’re glad the deal could close pretty quickly,” Petry said after signing his first contract with the Canadiens.

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The Petrys really seemed to love Montreal, until COVID-19 hit and everything changed. Petry’s wife, Julie, was upset with COVID-19 restrictions in Quebec last season and decided to leave Montreal and return to the family home in Michigan with their three children while also pregnant with a fourth child, who was born on Monday. past.

That left Petry alone in Montreal on a Canadiens team that was really struggling under head coach Dominique Ducharme’s system, which the defenseman was not a fan of and openly expressed as much. Petry’s game suffered and, although he also missed his family, he asked to be traded.

On Saturday, Petry finally got his wish when Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with forward Ryan Poehling, in exchange for defenseman Mike Matheson and a fourth-round pick in the NBA Draft. 2023 NHL.

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Petry was playing in the basement of his Michigan home with two of his children on Saturday afternoon and had left his phone in another room. When he went to get his phone, he saw that there was a missed call from the Canadiens general manager, Kent Hughes. As Petry was about to call Hughes back, his agent, Don Meehan, called to inform him of the trade, which had not yet been officially announced.

“So I went upstairs and told my wife and the kids,” Petry said during a video conference Sunday afternoon. “Everyone was extremely happy and excited to join the Penguins. … Pittsburgh is just over a four hour drive from my home in Michigan, so that’s good. Being able to just get in my wife’s car on a Friday night and be home at a reasonable hour. So that’s good, the ability to come and go.

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“The last two years with COVID have not been easy for anyone,” Petry added. “But living in Canada, away from my family and my wife’s family from Houston, even further away from them. It was very difficult for them to come up and help with the children and come to see us. It had its negative effects. But, at the same time, there were a lot of wonderful things (about Montreal) that we really enjoyed. But it’s good now that all of that is in the past and we’re closer to home and we can all be together again.”

Poehling, selected by the Canadiens in the first round (25th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, is happy to go to Pittsburgh with Petry.

“Petey is the best,” Poehling said during a video conference call Sunday afternoon. “He was one of my close friends (with the Canadians). We were a couple of the only American guys in Montreal. So it was easy to hang out with him. His family did a great job for me when he was young, drawing me in. I was going there for dinner. Go out with him, his children, his family. So when we found out, I FaceTimed him and he and all of his family responded and had big smiles on their faces. I’m glad he’s going there with me and I’m going there with him because he’s a great person and he’s a great player as well, so I’m excited about that.”

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Poehling joins a long list of first-round draft picks from back-to-back years who didn’t work out with the Canadiens for a variety of reasons. That list, which covers 10 years, includes Louis Leblanc (2009), Jarred Tinordi (2010), Nathan Beaulieu (2011), Alex Galchenyuk (2012), Mike McCarron (2013), Nikita Scherbak (2014), Noah Juulsen (2015 ), Mikhail Sergachev (2016), Poehling (2017), and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2018).

“I’m excited to be a part of the Pittsburgh family,” Poehling said. “They have a great organization and I think it will suit me. I’m excited. I feel like there’s a lot of new energy. A fresh start for me and I’m looking to improve my game to the best of my ability in Pittsburgh.”

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