Tony DeAngelo makes angry comments publicly after leaving the NHL
Tony DeAngelo has officially left the National Hockey League for Russia, and in his first interview, he clearly wasn't happy about the way things went down.
2023/24 was a down year for Tony DeAngelo with the Carolina Hurricanes, and given all of the question marks surrounding him beyond the ice, it's safe to say that his market wasn't quite where he expected it to be in free agency. After months of waiting, the veteran blue liner eventually opted to go to the KHL, as he signed a one-year deal with the star studded Ska St. Petersburg.
He will join former NHLers Evgeni Kuznetsov and Nikita Zaitsev among others, but in his first interview, he didn't seem happy that his career led him to Russia and the KHL.
"I waited through most of the summer," DeAngelo said in a one-on-one interview with RG.org. "It took a bit long. It was back and forth. With a bunch of different things, the negotiation process wasn't where we wanted to go. I had a great opportunity to come here and play in a great League with great players. It was the best situation for myself at this time."
Beyond that, he revealed that there were options out there, but ultimately, the move to the KHL was the best of all of them.
"Any option was on the table, but as I said, the best option for me was this one."
The 28-year old has been on a sharp decline over the past 18 months, but still has the talent to compete, and when he asked about a return to the NHL, he left it up to the GM's, showing that his future beyond 2024/25 is quite unclear.
"I guess, we'll see. I'm not sure. That question is not for me but for GMs and coaches in the NHL. Now, I'm just focused on this season."
For DeAngelo, the talent is still there, but the veteran comes with baggage that many GM's simply don't want to deal with, so the 2024/25 campaign in Russia will be key to his future.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 24 | 128 ANSWERS Tony DeAngelo makes angry comments publicly after leaving the NHL Will Tony DeAngelo return to the NHL next season? | ||
| Yes | 22 | 17.2 % |
| No | 106 | 82.8 % |
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