Puljujarvi Tells His Side of the Story; Why He Left Penguins

After leaving the Penguins organization, Puljujarvi signed a professional tryout agreement with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, who are affiliated with the Florida Panthers. A successful tryout does not guarantee an NHL contract.

 

Puljuajrvi spoke with Teemu Suvinen of the Finnish outlet Ilta-Sonomat about his situation and why he chose to leave the remainder of his $800,000 salary on the table.

“But at this point in my career, I didn’t think about money at all,” Puljujarvi told the outlet. “I want to enjoy hockey, play, and see the light at the end of the tunnel. I felt that was important.”

The big Finnish winger had a tumultuous January. He cleared waivers on Dec. 31 but stayed with the NHL club for a couple of weeks. Puljujarvi played a few NHL games but didn’t find a way to make an impact. He was sent to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and played a few games there before returning for a couple of NHL games. He returned to WBS for one more AHL game on Feb. 7, and then he requested termination.

“I was at a dead end. There was no prospect in Pittsburgh,” Puljujarvi told the outlet. “That’s why we came to this solution.”

Puljujarvi played 26 NHL games this season, scoring nine points with three goals.

He was also renting a house from teammate Bryan Rust and joked with the Finnish reporter that he would need to come up with the remainder of the rent. His girlfriend remained behind in Pittsburgh for a few more days with their dog Joffa to clear out the house and eventually join him in Charlotte.

The Finnish outlet referred to Puljujarvi’s confidence as shattered. He was a bit surprised and understood what it meant that no team picked him up on waivers.

“Of course, (not being claimed) would be a bit of a shock,” said Puljujarvi. “My NHL value isn’t that high. On the other hand, I had already been out of action for a couple of months when I was (waived).”

And yes, Puljujarvi seems to hold some resentment toward the Penguins. He didn’t go into details with the outlet but said it simply.

“I’m really not satisfied,” Puljujarvi said of his Penguins’ treatment.