Pronger Embarrassing Himself with Recent Edmonton Oilers Comments

If you’ve been paying any attention to the Edmonton Oilers lately, you’ve probably been informed of some pretty crazy drama going on behind the scenes. And, no, it has nothing whatsoever to do with this current roster, coaching staff, or management regime.

The saga is instead between two Hall of Fame defencemen in Kevin Lowe and Chris Pronger. If you remember, Lowe was serving as the general manager (GM) of the Oilers when he traded for Pronger. He was also the GM that sent Pronger packing just one year later after the superstar defenceman requested a trade. Despite that trade taking place 20 years ago, it happens to be exactly what the two are fighting about.

It all stemmed from Pronger choosing to write a book, in which he details what led to his trade request from the Oilers. The now 51-year-old claims that he had meant to sign a one-year qualifying offer with Edmonton so that he and his wife could see whether or not they liked the city. Instead, Pronger, after a night of drinking, chose to agree to a five-year extension without even letting his wife know. Or at least, that’s what he claims.

Lowe has since fired back at those comments, suggesting that the day after the contract was signed, Pronger’s wife sent him a thank-you note and expressed the couple’s gratitude to be heading to Edmonton. Suddenly, Lowe’s pushback has caused Pronger to walk back some of his comments, and it’s not making him look good.

Pronger’s Story Not Lining Up

With his book, Earned: The True Cost of Greatness from One of Hockey’s Fiercest Competitors, having just been released, Pronger has been doing all sorts of interviews across several platforms in recent days. To no surprise, many have asked him about this strange Edmonton situation, including Jason Gregor of Sports 1440. What was interesting was how Pronger changed his story up slightly when asked about allegedly signing a deal with the Oilers while under the influence.

“Let’s get something straight: I didn’t sign a contract that night, I agreed to terms,” Pronger said. “I wasn’t faxing things and doing all that. I agreed to terms and they announced it.”