By LUKE DECOCK, Staff Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Arturs Irbe on Thursday confirmed the substance of an interview with a Latvian sports magazine in which Irbe is quoted as saying the Carolina Hurricanes "blundered away" the chance to trade him earlier this season.

A rough, amateur translation of the interview with "Sporta Avise" was posted on an Internet message board earlier this week.

"Sometimes only the most exciting stuff gets translated and once you shorten it up, it all looks totally different," Irbe said. "I can say that, yeah, it's part of my words, maybe not exactly."

Irbe said he met with a group of Latvian writers in the United States for a bobsled race during his 11-day stint in the minors with Lowell (AHL) after he cleared waivers.

In the translation, Irbe is quoted as saying: "At first, Canes management blundered away the chance to trade me to Boston for a good return, and after that they simply did not evaluate trade market according as to reality. ...

"Financially, Canes are not doing that great, and you can not blame anybody but GM."

The translation also quotes Irbe as stating that a trade is close, which Irbe reasserted Thursday.

"I know for a fact the team was close to trading me to the Rangers and Boston," Irbe said Thursday. "And now, another team."

The Rangers earlier this season traded for Nashville's Mike Dunham, while the Bruins traded for Montreal's Jeff Hackett.

The St. Louis Blues are looking for a goalie but apparently have decided they don't want to pick up the $5.2 million Irbe, 36, is owed over the next two seasons.

Irbe stopped 15 of 19 shots in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, his first NHL start since Feb. 5.

Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford declined to respond to Irbe's contentions but said interest in Irbe remains "very quiet."