NHL star who blocked Jarmo Kekäläinen's trade explained his decision: "It's unfortunate that..."

The decision of defenseman Colton Parayko to block a player trade already negotiated from the St. Louis Blues to Jarmo Kekäläinen‘s Buffalo Sabres became one of the most talked-about cases at the NHL trade deadline.

The Canadian defenseman has now opened up about the reasons behind his decision in an interview with The Athletic. Parayko has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he cannot be traded to another team without his own consent.

– My agent called and told me about the possibility of a trade. I spoke with a few people within the (Buffalo) organization, and I only heard good things about the team, Parayko confirms, adding that he also had discussions with Kekäläinen himself.

– You go through all kinds of things, related to hockey and personal life. I still have four years left on my contract.

Parayko emphasizes that his decision was not due to a lack of desire to move to Buffalo.

– Not at all. They have a great team and they are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. The guys love playing there.

– It’s unfortunate that my refusal of the trade was presented that way just because the matter became public. My decision has nothing to do with the Sabres organization. At this point in my career, I love representing the Blues, so that’s that, Parayko wrapped up the intense media frenzy, during which the player mentioned he received hundreds of messages regarding the situation.

Parayko is having a challenging season in terms of performance. The defenseman, who scored 16 goals in the regular season last year, has recorded 1+13 points in 58 games this season.