Talk about a tough phone call.
The Wild will be buying out the contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter this offseason, but attempts to inform the veterans of the moves did not go smoothly.
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The Athletic reported that first, GM Bill Guerin called Suter, but when it went to voicemail, he rang Parise next. Parise was “caught off guard” after a “pleasant conversation,” but excited for a new opportunity.
Parise, though, immediately called his friend Suter to let him know he was getting bought out. During that conversation, Suter received a call from Guerin.
That one was not as pleasant. After Guerin shared the news that Suter would also be getting bought out, the two-way defenseman hung up the phone.
“These calls are not fun to make,” Guerin said. “In this position, the chair I’m sitting in, you have to do difficult things.”
Parise is third in Wild history in goals and points and first in power play goals. Suter is the franchise’s all-time leader in scoring and assists among defensemen.
The 36-year-olds were both signed on July 4, 2012, in a day that shocked the NHL world – just like his buyout stunned Suter.