Detroit Waives Hatcher, McCarty, Whitney

The Detroit Red Wings placed defenseman Derian Hatcher and forwards Darren McCarty and Ray Whitney on waivers Monday, effectively cutting ties with the veterans.

If the players go unclaimed, Detroit has the option of buying out their contracts and making them unrestricted free agents.

Hatcher’s contract calls for a salary of $4.94 million this season, Whitney is due $2.66 million and McCarty $1.71 million.

“They’ve been a big, big part of our franchise,” Red Wing assistant general manager Jim Nill said. “This is just a part of doing business right now with the new CBA.”

The NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement features a $39-million salary cap, and teams were granted a six-day window on Saturday to shed cumbersome contracts.

Hatcher, 33, is a former Dallas Star captain. He signed with Detroit as a free agent before the 2003-04 season. Considered at the time to be one of the best all-around defensemen in the league, Hatcher had little effect with his hometown team, tearing a knee ligament in the third game and sitting out the majority of that season.

Whitney, 33, also signed as a free agent with the Wings during 2003. He had 24 goals and 52 assists the season before with Columbus, and the Red Wings hoped he could fill the void created when Sergei Fedorov signed with the Mighty Ducks. With Detroit in 2003-04, Whitney had 14 goals and 29 assists.

McCarty, who has spent his entire 11-year career with Detroit, is a fan favorite whose style of play embodies the blue-collar spirit of the city. McCarty, 33, won three Stanley Cups with the Wings and scored the series-winning goal against Philadelphia in 1997.

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The Montreal Canadiens will not exercise their option on defenseman Patrice Brisebois, making the 14-year veteran an unrestricted free agent.

Brisebois was to have earned $3.4 million next season after the leaguewide 24% pay cut agreed to in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Brisebois, 34, has spent his career with Montreal. The defenseman has 79 goals and 263 assists in 791 games.