David Krejci’s physique informed him it was time to bid the National Hockey League farewell.
While Krejci, who introduced his retirement from the Bruins on Monday, left the door open to play in Europe after the New Year’s in preparation for attainable participation within the World Championships when the event will probably be held in Prague, the Czechia-born centerman knew his 37-year-old body couldn’t maintain as much as the pains of a full schedule in the very best league on the planet.
Krejci didn’t go into the 2022-23 season realizing it was going to be his final, however the accidents that stored him out of the ultimate six video games of the common season and three playoff video games eliminated a lot of the doubt. He mentioned to proceed taking part in within the NHL he would wish surgical procedure (he didn’t determine the harm) and that’s not one thing he was keen to do at this stage.
He didn’t wish to announce something proper on the finish of the season, particularly after the painful upset loss to the Florida Panthers, so he needed to verify he gave this fork in life’s street the right deliberation.
“I just realized there’s never a right time, a right moment to retire from NHL. But I felt like it was time,” mentioned Krejci on a Zoom name from his house in South Carolina on Tuesday. “I knew my body couldn’t take 82 games anymore and that was the decision.”
And so, after 1,192 video games (playoffs included) in a Bruins sweater, Krejci’s estimable profession is completed. He leaves as one of many greats within the Bruins’ century-long historical past, a participant who elevated his sport when it mattered most, twice main the league in playoff scoring, together with in 2011 when the B’s snapped a 39-year Stanley Cup drought.
There had been probabilities at different Cups. They misplaced within the Finals to an ideal Blackhawk staff in 2013, then once more in 2019 in a brutally robust Game 7 loss on the Garden to St. Louis Blues. And in fact, this nice season of Bruins’ hockey led to comparable disappointment, bowing out within the first spherical after a file 65-win season.
“The last year is always going to be there. It’s a missed opportunity and its always going to be there with 2019 and 2013 … but (the Stanley Cup) is the hardest trophy to win,” mentioned Krejci. “You could see it this year. Florida goes from the eighth spot or out of the playoffs with a few games to go in the regular season and they made it all the way to the final. If that was soccer, English Premier League or somewhere else, the best team in the league in the regular season gets a cup and you go home and get ready for the next year. That’s what I like about hockey and that’s what I love about playoffs. Playoffs star from zero and anything can happen. That’s why it’s the hardest trophy to win in the world. I don’t take for granted that I have that ring on my finger from 2011.”
But he didn’t wish to dwell on these disappointments. Though Krejci’s B’s suffered their share of gut-punches, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he and his contemporaries – Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask, Tim Thomas, Milan Lucic, David Pastrnak are on the prime of the listing – put some electrical energy again onto Causeway Street, which by the point Krejci arrived and his cohorts arrived hadn’t skilled a lot voltage because the outdated Garden was torn down within the mid-Nineteen Nineties. Not solely had been non-sellouts a daily incidence, the B’s would typically fail to promote out their house opener. The membership’s consecutive sellout streak is now at 582, with the final non-sellout being Dec. 2, 2009.
“I remember when I first made the team, the Bruins didn’t make the playoffs much and if they did, they would be out the first round,” mentioned Krejci, who mentioned he hopes someday to work in hockey at some capability, presumably scouting. “I also remember when I was in Providence and I’d go to watch games, TD Garden wasn’t sold out. So I kind of take pride in my first few years – I was lucky to be on good teams – we kind of brought the people back and ever since it’s been amazing playing in front of the fans, sold out arena all the time.”
Krejci’s taking part in highlights are apparent, with 2011 on the prime of the listing, particularly sweeping the Flyers, in opposition to whom he had suffered a damaged wrist the earlier 12 months when the Philadelphia got here again from a 3-0 deficit within the sequence.
“I think I took it a little more seriously, that series, more personally. And the rest is history,” mentioned Krejci.
But like most retiring gamers will inform you, Krejci most values the camaraderie, the moments within the locker room and on the street together with his teammates. He additionally gave a nod to to the 2 centerman who had been in place place earlier than him, Marc Savard and Bergeron, who offered Krejci the measuring stick he wanted all through his profession.
“I learned so much from them. Then Savvy left and I just tried to keep up with Bergy every year to be as good as him, or get as close as I could, not just on the ice but also the professional he is off the ice,” mentioned Krejci. “I knew I could never come close to that, but just watching him and seeing his work ethic made me a better player. I talked to him about this and he pushed me hard in the summer. I take pride in my summer workouts every year. It’s mainly because of Bergy because I know how hard he works and I had to work as hard just to be in the same position and be right there with him and help the team be successful as number one and number two centermen.”
In time, Krejci grew to become a mentor to youthful gamers, most notably his countryman Pastrnak. Krejci, the sensible playmaker who arrange a big potion of Pastrnak’s 61 objectives final season, has confidence within the subsequent Bruin technology.
“Boston, there’s been this culture we all kind of created,” mentioned Krejci. “When I got in there, I was just learning the culture of the Bruins and the dressing room along the way. Then I understood what it takes to be a Bruin, what it means to put on the jersey. I tried to do it with pride. The older I get, I just tried to lead by example, be myself, be respectful to the culture of the Bruins and tried to carry it on. Now you see the young guys coming in and the older guys teaching them the ropes. Now they’ve got it. Pasta’s got, Chuck McAvoy, all the younger guys understand what it means to wear that jersey and there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll be great leaders. Then they’ll hand the torch to the younger generation But the Bruins organization has been so great and they always draft the right people. It’s going to be fun watching them. It’ll be fun seeing the young kids grow up to be good leaders. I really hope they’re going to get it done soon, so if I still have friends on the team I can get invited to a Cup day.”
As for his personal legacy and the way he’d like his profession to be remembered, he left that for different folks to determine. But he’s at peace with himself.
“Everyone will have their own opinion, but I just wanted to do the best I could to represent myself,.my family, the city of Boston and the Bruins organization the best I could,” he mentioned. “And I think for the most part of I’ve done that.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com