Sweeney: McQuaid Trade 'A Difficult Decision'

BOSTON - The National Hockey League is a business. Roster turnover, coaching changes, and personnel departures are inevitable.
Knowing that, however, does not make losing a teammate any easier - especially one as respected as Adam McQuaid.
That much was made clear on Tuesday following Don Sweeney's announcement that he was trading the veteran blue liner to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Steven Kampfer and two draft picks.

"Very difficult day for me personally and for the organization as well," said Sweeney, who picked up a 2019 fourth-rounder and conditional seventh-rounder in the deal. "We want to thank Adam. He was a tremendous Bruin, a tremendous teammate - very difficult decision…. I was there every step of the way. And as I said, it was a difficult decision because of what he meant to the Boston Bruins and will always mean to the Boston Bruins."
McQuaid spent 12 years in the Bruins organization - nine with Boston - and was a valuable member of the team's 2011 Stanley Cup championship, playing in 23 games that postseason as a 24-year-old in his first full season in Black & Gold.
"He's been a part of this team for a long time," said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. "He's been such a tremendous friend, teammate, leader, so it's a very unfortunate part of the business, but we all wish him the best…we're going to still be in touch and still be friends, but it's one of those things that's part of the game.
"We saw what happened a few years after 2011, a number of guys parting ways. Like I said, it doesn't mean that he's not in the locker room he's out of your life. Those type of players and friends are part of your life forever."

The 6-foot-4, 212-pound native of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007 for a fifth-round pick. Following the trade, McQuaid played three seasons in Providence, where he formed relationships with many of his Bruins teammates.
"He's been an incredible teammate for a long time," said Brad Marchand, who played two seasons with McQuaid in Providence and all nine in Boston. "When you look around the room you want guys like him. He's just an incredible guy off the ice, in the room. Great friend. On the ice, he's an incredible teammate. He'll do anything for the team and for each and every player.
"Winning together was an incredible time. We had a lot of fun together in Providence, and we had a lot of fun throughout the years here, and we became very close. We were roommates at one point."
McQuaid's most important assets were his grit and determination - attributes that quickly endeared him to both his teammates and the fans. Never one to shy away from sacrificing his body by stepping in front of a blistering slap shot or dropping the gloves to defend a teammate - even if it meant him missing time with injury - the 31-year-old was the perfect example for Boston's young players.
"I'm so happy, I'm so thankful, blessed to call him a teammate and to have been able to play with him and become friends with him. I learned a lot from him," said Charlie McAvoy. "He's just so selfless, it's insane. It's so refreshing - he'll do anything for you, literally anything. You can lean on Quaider and you know that and he makes that pretty obvious."
Replacing that leadership and toughness will be a challenge, but one Sweeney believes will be embraced by the remaining members of Boston's defense corps.
"We won't know that until we get into the season," said Sweeney. "People talk about being a natural-born leader ­- I don't know, I think you acquire those skills. Adam's a perfect example of someone who grew into his own abilities and it permeated through the room. I believe those are acquired skills and we will miss that aspect of Adam. I am hopeful that other players will fill that void."
The Bruins were set to enter training camp with eight NHL-caliber defensemen, providing the team with valuable depth on the back end, but also a dilemma for coach Bruce Cassidy.

"It wasn't automatic that Adam would be one of the two out, but if it worked out that way it was going to be difficult. For the one now will be difficult," said Cassidy. "It is tough to see him go, 10 years we've been together…it's been a lot of work over the years with Adam, so today was a tough morning.
"But hopefully he gets a great opportunity to play in New York. We'll miss him, mostly as a person and a teammate."