| | NEW YORK -- Defenseman Stephane Quintal, who had requested to be traded four months ago, Saturday was suspended by the New York Rangers for the final four games of the season.
The Rangers said the suspension was "for conduct deemed detrimental to the hockey club."
In Friday's edition of the Montreal's French-language newspaper, La Presse, Quintal expressed his desire to be traded to Montreal, where the Quebec native played for four seasons before signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Rangers last summer.
"My first choice would be to play for the Canadiens next season, but if I really have no choice, I'll go back to New York," Quintal told the newspaper.
Quintal was also quoted in the newspaper as saying that Petr Nedved was not a No. 1-calibre center.
He later told the (New York) Daily News that he had requested the trade in November because he no longer wanted to play for coach John Muckler -- since fired. But he denied having made disparaging remarks about Nedved.
The Daily News said that Quintal met with interim coach John Tortorella on Friday and was to meet with assistant general manager Don Maloney at night to explain his remarks. Apparently, the explanation was not satisfactory.
Quintal, 31, had a rocky relationship with Muckler, who was fired along with general manager Neil Smith on Tuesday. In 75 games, Quintal has two goals and 14 assists with a plus-minus rating of minus-10.
"The Ranger management didn't put a gun to his head and make him come over here," Nedved said on Saturday. "He probably should have stayed in Montreal if he wanted to." | |
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