Representatives for NHL prospect Jimmy Vesey disputed the Nashville Predators' account of events that led to the decision to have the 2012 draft pick become an unrestricted free agent rather than sign an entry-level contract with the team.

Hobey Baker Award winner Jimmy Vesey was originally selected by the Predators, but the Sabres have acquired those rights. Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images

Vesey's representatives, Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli said in a statement released Wednesday that it was "ultimately determined by what was best" for Vesey, who was the No. 66 overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

"The decision to become an unrestricted free agent was ultimately determined by what was best for Jimmy Vesey's hockey career," Vesey's representatives said in the statement.

Vesey, the statement said, also wanted to graduate on time from Harvard.

"This election, although unrelated to the determining hockey factors, will also allow Jimmy to graduate from Harvard University this spring. Jimmy and his family are very proud and pleased that this will indeed happen. The Harvard community and alumni have rallied around him. Jimmy is very appreciative of this support and the fact that he will now be able to graduate."

On Monday, Predators general manager David Poile said the organization had already received confirmation from Vesey that he would sign after his season concluded at Harvard. Poile said then it was a "shocker" to learn of Vesey's decision to become a free agent and that the team did not make a move at the trade deadline because assistant GM Paul Fenton was told by Vesey last month that he planned to join the team.

Vesey's reps say the Predators were told of his decision a few days before the deadline so the team could conduct business unrelated to him.

"After being fully advised of his options and upon the recommendation of his advisers and counselors, Jimmy Vesey shall become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15, 2016. The Nashville Predators were informed of this decision," the statement said. "Nashville now claims and it has been widely reported that they were without knowledge of this possibility and that this lack of knowledge precluded the hockey club from acquiring a player at the trade deadline. This contention is not accurate. The Nashville Predators were informed prior to the trade deadline that they should conduct their business as they saw fit and that the potential of signing or not signing Jimmy Vesey should not be a factor in their decision."

The statement goes on to say that money didn't factor into Vesey's decision.

"The club has further claimed that the decision to elect unrestricted free agency is bizarre and does not make sense financially. If this election was based solely in regard to money Jimmy would have signed after his third college season, burned a year off of his entry level contract, and been eligible for both signing bonus and salary compensation. A full analysis of his options was conducted. Whether Jimmy will lose any money is speculative at best."

It's been speculated that Vesey, 22, a North Reading, Massachusetts, native, could sign with either the Toronto Maple Leafs, where his father works as an amateur scout, or with the Boston Bruins, where GM Don Sweeney is a Harvard alum. The pool of suitors will be larger than two teams, however.