Heartbreaking insight exposed on what happened to Red Wings during last night’s trade

Late on Tuesday night, the Detroit Red Wings sent defenseman Olli Maatta packing, trading him to the Utah Hockey Club in return for a 2025 third-round draft pick. In the trade, the third round pick that lands in Detroit was originally the New York Rangers’ who sent the pick to the Arizona Coyotes as part of the three-team trade for Patrick Kane.

The Wings are in action later tonight against the Winnipeg Jets and unfortunately for the team and the atmosphere in the dressing room, Sean Shapiro reveals that some of the Detroit players found out about the trade this morning while heading to the morning skate.

Maatta had sent a goodbye text to the players’ messaging group and that’s how many of them found out he had been moved to Utah.

"Olli Määttä texted the Wings team group chat this morning to thank them. With timing of trade last night a couple players didn’t even know trade happened until they got Määttä’s text while they were driving to rink this morning."

The 30-year old blue liner is in the final season of a two-year, $6 million contract he signed with the Red Wings in 2023. He has no points in seven games in 2024-25.

Maatta has played 691 career NHL games with the Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, and Chicago Blackhawks, recording 40 goals and 137 assists. He is a two time Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins back in 2016 and 2017.

Maatta gives Utah a veteran option in its defense corps after losing both Sean Durzi and John Marino long term. However, I’m sure he would have liked to part ways by telling his teammates in Detroit in person that he had been traded.

Some things in hockey are heartbreakingly too much business and lack a human quality...