Connor Bunnaman Reacts To Being Traded To Florida Panthers

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Saturday began as any other game day for Connor Bunnaman. He did his normal gameday routine in preparation for that night's game against the Springfield Thunderbirds.

"I wasn't [thinking about being traded] at all," Bunnaman told InsideAHLHockey.com on if the thought he might be traded had ever crossed his mind leading up to Monday's NHL trade deadline. "This is the business side of it. I just have to make the best of it."

In fact, Bunnaman was playing sewer ball in the hallway at the Mass Mutual Center Saturday evening and preparing to take the pre-game warmup skate in advance of Saturday night's game when head coach Ian Laperriere pulled him into the coaches room.

Bunnaman, along with German Rubtsov - currently injured and not on the trip with the Phantoms - were traded to the Florida Panthers as part of the Claude Giroux trade.

"I wish them well, wish them good luck. They're two good kids," Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere told InsideAHLHockey.com Saturday night in Springfield. "I've been through it as a player. When you have a change of scenery you have a second wind - you get a second chance - and hopefully that's the case for both players."

Bunnaman and Rubtsov were both assigned to the Charlotte Checkers Sunday.

"Charlotte and Florida are both doing really well right now," Bunnaman said of his new organization. "It sucks leaving the guys here, but at least I get a bus ride home with them [overnight Saturday]. That will be fun. I'm excited for the change, the opportunity to go over there. Hopefully go up with Florida at some point soon during the year," he added.

For Panthers/Checkers fans unaware of Bunnaman's game, he summed it up pretty well.

"Heavy game, big PK guy that can put up points too," Bunnaman said of a self-scouting report. [I'll] do the heavy work down low and get it to the skill guys and let them do their thing."

Bunnaman was also cognizant of his time with the Philadelphia Flyers, being sure to make note of his time spent in the organization and how thankful/appreciative he is having come in to the organization and developing his game after a successful OHL career.

"They gave me every opportunity to succeed, treated me unreal here," Bunnaman said of his time in the Flyers organization. "They let me achieve my dream to play in the NHL and I can't thank them enough for that."