C al Clutterbuck never got a chance to say goodbye.
He didn't make the choice and leave the Wild as a free agent, didn't get disgruntled and ask to be traded.
He was simply dealt from the organization he grew up in last June in a draft-day swap with the Islanders involving young Nino Niederreiter.
Clutterbuck, 26, never got to properly say adios to his former teammates, shake hands with team personnel who took care of him for parts of six seasons and, most of all, thank the fans who made his jersey one of the highest sold during his tenure as the Wild's resident heavy hitter.
Clutterbuck became an instant fan favorite thanks to his cool last name and glass-rattling style, but the winger was surprised at the level of disappointment by some when he was traded. He is excited to return Sunday night as an Islander and will be acknowledged by the Wild with a video tribute.
"It's not like they traded Zach Parise or Mikko Koivu or Ryan Suter or anything like that," Clutterbuck said. "There are people there that are fans of mine, and I appreciate that and I appreciate people there taking a liking to me when I was a kid. I loved playing there. I loved playing in that building in front of those people. I definitely miss playing in front of those fans 41 times a year."
'It just didn't work out'
Clutterbuck was a restricted free agent last summer and knew a trade was a possibility when his agent, Pat Morris, was getting nowhere with the Wild on a short-term deal.
"At the end of the day, there was the business aspect, which is the oldest cliché going in sports," Clutterbuck said. "Both sides were trying to make something work out so the trade didn't have to happen. But there were a lot of moving parts, and at the end of the day, it just didn't work out."