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“When I signed in Ottawa two years ago, I felt it was to be an integral part of the team. Over the last two years and more recently over the past year, I feel my role was diminished. This past season, it diminished a lot more.

“I would like the opportunity to go somewhere where I can play to the best of my capabilities and be the player that I can be.”

– Dany Heatley, on June 21, 2009, explaining why he demanded that the Senators trade him.

“If Dany is in our dressing room when training camp rolls around, it’s because he wants to be here. Anyone who shows up and wants to be here, we’d welcome. But if he doesn’t want to be here, then don’t bother showing up. I’ve said that from Day 1.”

– Chris Neil, on Aug. 6, 2009, talking about Dany Heatley’s request to be traded.

“I don’t think I did anything wrong asking for a trade.

I had my reasons and if people think different of me that’s fine, but I feel I’ve done nothing wrong and I’m happy to move on.

“I definitely feel like this was better for both sides. I talked to a lot of guys today and everybody is happy that there’s a resolution and we can all move on.”

– Heatley, after he was traded to the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 12, 2009

“I talked to Dany (on Friday) and he was adamant that he wanted to be moved. And we felt based on that, more than anything, that we should get the value that we could get for him and move on.

“What we care about are the guys that are in our room and we feel that this makes the core group know where they are going forward.”

– Murray, following the Heatley trade.

“I think the way they have gone about it has got to be the most bizarre way of trying to enter professional sports.”

– Senators owner Eugene Melnyk on the efforts of RIM billionaire Jim Balsillie’s efforts in September, 2009, to transplant the Phoenix Coyotes in Hamilton.