Blackhawks Player Learned He Was Traded In Worst Possible Way
Alex Vlasic told the story to the Chicago Sun-Times.
On June 23, Vlasic and Crevier were texting back and forth about a completely unrelated topic, the Blackhawks' pursuit of Buffalo defenseman Bowen Byram, with Crevier sending Vlasic rumors about the deal from Rome, unaware he was about to become part of it.
"Dude, I'm So Sad"
Vlasic picked up the story from there. "He was sending me stuff about the trade, and I was like, 'No way,'" Vlasic said. "All of a sudden, I see, 'Louis Crevier included.' I texted him, 'Dude, I'm so sad.'"
Crevier had no idea what Vlasic was talking about. "He was like, 'Oh, why? Did somebody on the team get traded?'" Vlasic recalled. "I said, 'Are you joking?' He was like, 'No, what do you mean?' I was like, 'Check Twitter.'"
Alex Vlasic accidentally broke the news to Louis Crevier, who was struggling with cell coverage in Italy, that he was going to the Sabres.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) August 24, 2026
"I texted him, 'Dude, I’m so sad.' He was like, 'Oh, why? Did somebody on the team get traded?'"
More from Vlasic: https://t.co/UzjNnLOwil
The trade sent Crevier, along with the fourth and 45th overall picks in the 2026 draft, to Buffalo in exchange for Byram and forward Jordan Greenway, a deal general manager Kyle Davidson made to give Chicago an established, offensive-minded defenseman to pair long-term with Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser.
Why He Was So Hard To Reach
Crevier later explained his own side of it to Sabres Live.
"I was in Rome when the trade happened, so it was six hours difference from Buffalo. It was about 3 or 4 in the morning," Crevier said. "When you're in Europe, my data wasn't working really well, so I couldn't get texts or calls from my agent, but I was able to text Alex Vlasic for some reason. That was the only guy I could text."
Even his own representation couldn't reach him before the news became public. "I kind of felt bad that I broke the news to him," Vlasic said. "But I guess since he was in Italy, he didn't have cell service properly, so he wasn't getting texts from his agent. I was his agent in that scenario."
Louis Crevier, who leads the NHL in 100 mph slapshots, just showed why with a 55-foot clapper for his 5th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/vrvdddgaJT
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 18, 2026
Vlasic and Crevier were Chicago's most-used defensive pairing last season, logging 770 minutes and 43 seconds together, nearly 340 minutes more than any other pairing on the roster.
Crevier had opened the year as the Blackhawks' seventh defenseman before playing his way onto the top pairing alongside Vlasic, finishing with seven goals, 18 assists, and 95 blocked shots.
Crevier has since called the move to Buffalo a positive given its proximity to his hometown of Quebec City, and Vlasic is looking forward to what comes next in Chicago, telling the Sun-Times he expects Byram, who is eight days younger than him and already has a Stanley Cup ring from Colorado's 2022 championship run, to become his new regular partner on the blue line.
