Ian White will rejoin Paul Maurice in Carolina after getting dealt by the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

The Calgary Flames were involved in a four-player trade Wednesday, sending defenceman Ian White and forward Brett Sutter to the Carolina Hurricanes.

In exchange, the Flames get gritty veteran forward Tom Kostopoulos and defenceman Anton Babchuk.

White's tenure with Calgary comes to an end after just 43 regular-season games. He was part of the multi-player deal Jan. 31 that saw former Norris Trophy finalist Dion Phaneuf sent to Toronto.

White, 26, is set to become an unrestricted free agent next July and Calgary would have been hard-pressed to sign him, given the team's other financial commitments. He currently makes nearly $3 million US a year.

Calgary assistant general manager Jay Feaster said on a media conference call that the club had talks with White and his agent about a long-term deal in the summer. When that wasn't accomplished, and defenceman Mark Giordano was subsequently signed to a multi-year deal, it made moving White inevitable.

White previously played for Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice when he guided the Maple Leafs.

Sutter, the 23-year-old son of Flames general manager Darryl Sutter, gets dealt just days after an arrest in connection with an alleged bar altercation in Arizona.

Sent down to AHL

He hadn't suited up for Calgary since Oct. 16 and was sent down to the American Hockey League after being arrested.

Feaster insisted the talks with Carolina began before Sutter's arrest.

"One of the things Darryl has always prided himself on is being able to separate out the personal relationship and the business aspect of what we do," said Feaster. "We were in a situation here where Brett was not playing, he was not able to crack the starting lineup and hadn't played in an extended period of time.

"He was a player that Carolina identified as someone that they wanted in the deal, so it evolved from there," Feaster added.

Sutter played just 18 games with the Flames, spread over three seasons. If he cracks Carolina's roster, he'd be reunited with cousin Brandon Sutter, the son of Flames coach Brent Sutter.

Kostopoulos, 31, will be joining his fifth NHL team. He has scored 49 goals — seven of them short-handed — to go along with 81 assists and 604 penalty minutes in 475 games. His previous stops have included Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Montreal.

Babchuk, 26, rejoined the Hurricanes this season after spending 2009-10 in his native Russia. Carolina originally acquired him late in the 2005-06 season from the Chicago Blackhawks.

The defenceman has scored 26 goals and 43 assists in 185 NHL games.

Babchuk, who is earning $1.4 million this season, is scheduled to be a UFA on July 1, 2011. Kostopoulos is set to make slightly more than $915,000 next season, the same rate as the current campaign.

Of the two players, Babchuk sounded more excited on Wednesday's media conference call about the prospect of switching teams, specifically mentioning the opportunity to play for a Canadian team for the first time.

Babchuk said he plans on continuing his hockey career in North America as long as possible.

Kostopoulos, with two young children, admitted the move was a shock. The Mississauga, Ont., native said he'll contribute a solid two-way game for the Flames.

Calgary plays Phoenix on Wednesday at the Saddledome, with a contest Friday at the same venue against Chicago.

Feaster said he expects both newcomers to play against the Blackhawks.