In a move that Terrier Nation suspected but never wanted to face as reality, junior defenseman Ryan Whitney confirmed early Tuesday morning that he has agreed in principle to a contract with the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins, foregoing his senior year at Boston University.
“They called with an offer on Friday, then Sunday we came to an agreement,” Whitney said when reached by phone just after 12 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Pittsburgh drafted Whitney with the fifth overall pick in the 2002 draft after his freshman year. The 6-foot 4-inch, smooth-skating blueliner struggled with injury and confidence early in his sophomore season, but led the team in points (nine goals, 16 assists for 25 points) this year. He finishes with career totals of 16 goals and 43 assists (59 points).
With the NHL in a precarious state due to the looming expiration of the collective bargaining agreement this summer, Whitney said that insecurity was a factor in his decision.
“With the CBA coming, the maximum amount of money rookies would be able to make might drop down to $800,000 or something like that,” said Whitney, who will sign a three-year deal worth the 2002 rookie salary cap of $1.185 million per year, according to Tuesday’s Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “This decision wasn’t about money, but that would have put me in a position to lose a lot of money if I hadn’t come now. That really wasn’t the main factor in the decision – it was just basically that I think I’m ready to move on and go to the next level.”
The Terriers were not due to lose any defensemen to graduation this spring, but Whitney’s decision means they will play next season without this year’s leader from the back. The 202-pounder was the anchor to the BU power play, as well as a constant starter and fixture come crunch time. Whitney’s playful attitude made it clear that he was always enjoying himself – something that he said made the decision even more difficult.
“It’s tough to do,” he said. “I told coach and I told the guys today and it was real tough doing both of those things. I’ve had a great time here, made a lot of really special friends – people that will always be a part of my life. I couldn’t thank coach enough for the opportunities he gave me here, the amount of ice time he always gave me. His efforts toward making me a better player was just something that made it really hard for me to leave here.”
With the season over for the last-place Penguins, Whitney could join their American Hockey League affiliate, the playoff-bound Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, soon, according to the Tribune-Review.
Whitney said the decision came recently.
“I was somewhat leaning this way, but in all reality, I knew there was a real good chance I would come back to school, too,” Whitney said. “It was just a decision my family and I made that we think is the right one.”