Jean-Sébastien Dea: Coyotes terminate contract after remarks about AHL

This week, Jean-Sébastien Dea made news when he said he was “mentally drained” by spending his time in the AHL. He said he hoped to get a chance to prove himself in the NHL, but wouldn’t mind getting a job in Europe.

Clearly, he didn’t want to play again with the Tucson Roadrunners (the Arizona Coyotes’ training club) in 2023-24.

So you’d think that with such comments made public, the forward and his clan would be trying to find a team in Europe to welcome him. Of course, the Coyotes weren’t going to stand in his way: he was unhappy with the organization and wanted to try his luck elsewhere.

And today, we learn that Dea will finally have the chance to play somewhere other than the AHL next year: the Coyotes have placed him on the unconditional ballot with a view to terminating his contract.

Because next year, Dea will be moving to Europe.

This is the second time this summer that the Coyotes have terminated a contract, having done the same with Alex Galchenyuk in July following his arrest in the Scottsdale area. This time, however, the decision was made by mutual agreement: Dea really wanted out, and the Coyotes accommodated him.

The Players’ Association won’t be interfering, we agree.

And in the end, if the player is happy, that’s a good thing. Clearly, the former member of the CH organization needed a change of scenery, and since no NHL team seemed willing to offer him a chance with the big club, he’ll be spending next season in Europe.

We wish him a great year there and, above all, we hope he’ll rediscover the pleasure of playing. He said he’d lost it playing in the AHL, and maybe it’s in Europe that he’ll find it again.

In gusto

– Will Jeff Petry make it?

– Brayden McNabb gets his Stanley Cup day.

Brayden McNabb gets a hero’s welcome in his hometown of Davidson, Saskatchewan🤩

(📷:@keeperofthecup) pic.twitter.com/WbRorZPG8d

– BarDown (@BarDown) August 5, 2023

– We know the two are very close.