The longer the story drags on, the more apparent it becomes that we may never know the true story behind Chris Pronger’s saga with the Edmonton Oilers.

And on Wednesday, the he said, she said continued, with the former defenceman refuting ex-Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe’s account of a letter of excitement he received from Pronger’s wife, Lauren, shortly after the trade.

The question about the letter was posed by Jason Gregor, who had Pronger on Sports 1440’s Jason Gregor Show Wednesday afternoon. Before Gregor could finish the question, Pronger was already shaking his head.

“Didn’t happen,” said Pronger. “Not to my knowledge. I’ve asked her.”

Pronger revealed an excerpt from his new book on Monday, detailing how on the night he was acquired by the Oilers, he had been drinking at a friend’s birthday party. The deal caught him and his wife off guard, but they were willing to give Edmonton a chance. With the Oilers unwilling to have Pronger play on a one-year, $7.3 million qualifying offer, the two sides got to work.

By 2 a.m. that night, Pronger, well under the influence and without consulting his wife, agreed to terms with the Oilers on a five-year extension. The following morning, Lauren was none too pleased.

“I agreed to terms, and they announced it,” said Pronger. “How do you walk that back?”

Pronger said in his book he knew by November that the 2005-06 season would be his only with the Oilers, telling Gregor that it was difficult to leave.

“That’s the hardest part,” said Pronger. “You know you’re going to break people’s hearts.

“You know you’re going to hurt your teammates when you’re asking for a trade, but you still have a job to do.”

Lowe expressed clear disappointment in Pronger’s comments about being under the influence when they agreed to terms on the deal, saying he wished he had handled things differently.

“Looking back, hearing how he frames it today, I find myself wishing I had handled it differently,” Lowe said. “Quite frankly, I wish I had said no and let him sit out rather than accommodate a decision he now seems so quick to diminish.”

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.