'Canes Trade Primeau To Flyers

The Carolina Hurricanes ended a five-month contract dispute with former captain and all-star Keith Primeau by trading him Sunday to the Philadelphia Flyers for Rod Brind'Amour.

"I am excited that there's finally a resolution, and am looking forward to playing in city like Philadelphia," said Primeau, a restricted free agent who has missed Carolina's first 48 games.

Primeau, who had 30 goals last season, said he signed a five-year, $22.75 million contract with the Flyers and should be in uniform Thursday night.

Carolina's first contract offer to Primeau in July was five years for $20 million. He turned down various other offers for fewer years and less money over the past few months.

Brind'Amour, an 11-year NHL veteran, had played in 484 straight games before missing the first 34 games this season with a broken left foot. Since returning to the lineup, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound center has eight points in 12 games.

"Not only have we resolved Keith's situation, but more importantly, we have improved our hockey team," Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford said, alluding to Brind'Amour. "He is one of the NHL's best all-around centers and will boost our specialty teams.

"He brings character, leadership and toughness to our locker room."

Carolina coach Paul Maurice said Brind'Amour would center a line with wings Gary Roberts and Jeff O'Neill against Montreal on Monday night.

Maurice made the phone call to Brind'Amour to inform him of the trade. He was in Pittsburgh getting ready to play the Penguins.

"I think he knew the call was coming," Maurice said. "While there may have been a shock to it when he finally heard it, he is still that great pro and he snapped right into the arrangements of when he was coming.

"He got very focused at the job at hand. There wasn't any, `I'll have to call you back or I have to talk to my agent.' It was hockey."

Rutherford said Brind'Amour has two years remaining on his contract, which will play him $3.5 million next season and then $4.2 million.

Carolina also gets 21-year-old goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier and a second-round pick at the NHL entry draft in June. The deal follows a flurry of rumors the last few days.

There were reports that Primeau, 28, was part of a three-way deal among Carolina, the New York Rangers and the Phoenix Coyotes, which would have landehim in Phoenix and sent Keith Tkachuk to New York. Petr Nedved also was said to be part of the three-way trade.

The New York Post reported Saturday that Carolina owner Peter Karmanos nixed that deal. Then attention focused on the Flyers, although late Saturday night there were reports the deal had fallen through.

Primeau, Carolina's leading scorer last season with 30 goals and 32 assists in 78 games, had been seeking about $4.5 million per season from the Hurricanes. He made $2 million last year.

The Toronto native is an excellent two-way player and was part of the Canadian Olympic team in 1998. He has 179 goals, 227 assists and 1,127 penalty minutes in 597 games in an 11-year career with Detroit and Carolina.

Primeau turned down various contract offers from Carolina since becoming a restricted free agent July 1, and declared he would never play for the Hurricanes again as his relationship with Karmanos appeared to deteriorate.

"It's best left unsaid," Primeau said when asked if he had anything to say to Karmanos, who at one point in the negotiations called Primeau a `prima donna.'

The 29-year-old Brind'Amour, who played with Primeau on the Canadian Olympic squad, has spent his last eight seasons with Philadelphia.

He was the NHL's ironman going into the 1999-2000 season, but his streak of consecutive games played ended at 484 when he sustained a hairline fracture of his left foot during a preseason game. Brind'Amour had two pins inserted in his foot and was unable to start this season. He returned to the lineup Dec. 22.

He has 273 goals and 430 assists in 778 games with Philadelphia and St. Louis. He was third in Flyers scoring last season with 74 points. His salary last season was $3.5 million.

"I don't think anybody wins when you get in these situations," Carolina captain Ron Francis said of Primeau. "Unfortunately, this happens in sports. But from an organization standpoint you want to have everybody on the ice that you can to help you win and be successful. Now, we can all move forward."

Carolina came into Sunday's game four points out of a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference.

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