Being the most sought after NHL free agent on the market comes with a lot of attention and pressure. Ironically, that’s what former Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers was supposedly looking to get away from when selecting his next team.
One could say the 29-year-old native of Denmark was in search of some “hygge” at his next destination. That new home ultimately ended up being in Raleigh, North Carolina where Ehlers signed a six-year, $51 million contract with the Hurricanes on Thursday — three days after free agency opened on July 1.
“Nikolaj Ehlers basically identified a very specific club area that he wanted to play,” TSN insider Darren Dreger told First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo on Friday. “Ehlers made it clear leaving Winnipeg that he wanted to go to a quieter market. And that’s saying a lot. When you think of Winnipeg, small market in the National Hockey League, the fan base is terrific. It’s not like, you know, others would leave the rink and people follow them home… He wants to live, again, a more quiet lifestyle away from hockey and as an unrestricted free agent, you don’t get that many opportunities to call your shot. So I think that’s why it took so long.”
Ehlers spent the last 10 years with the Jets, the team that drafted him in 2014 (9th overall). Like Dreger said, that’s not a particularly busy market compared to others in the league but head coach Scott Arniel confirmed to reporters on Friday that Ehlers felt the move was necessary.
“Nick phoned me yesterday, almost in tears, you know, he just felt the biggest thing for him was he just needed a change in scenery,” Arniel said. “And that wasn’t based on the city, the hockey team, anything like that, he just felt he’d been here a long time and this was sort of his one chance to make a change.”
Winnipeg’s general manager, Kevin Cheveldeyoff, confirmed that when he was informed on Wednesday that Ehlers was not going to return to the Jets, the winger hadn’t yet made up his mind.
“It’s obviously a tough moment. I remember we talked before he made his final decision and it was an emotional conversation,” Cheveldeyoff told reporters Friday at Jets Development Camp.
Both Arniel and Cheveldeyoff said Ehlers would be speaking publicly in the coming days, which should reveal more into his decision-making process.
Dreger added that more money and term were available to Ehlers but location was ultimately the deciding factor.
“There was more money, I’m sure, and more term available, but the Carolina Hurricanes and Carolina in general, North Carolina is obviously where Nikolaj Ehlers wants to live,” he said.
The Washington Capitals and Utah Mammoth were reported finalists for Ehlers’ services. The Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and Tampa Bay Lightning were also rumored to be linked with the star forward throughout the process.
