BOSTON — Former Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, who announced his retirement from the NHL on Feb. 9, now has mornings where he wakes up feeling great and others where he arises and is thankful he doesn’t need to go work on his butterfly.
Rask, while speaking to reporters Thursday before performing a ceremonial puck drop ahead of Boston’s game against the New Jersey Devils, spoke fondly about his 15 seasons with the organization, but acknowledged how he does not have any regrets about his decision.
Rask played four games during the 2021-22 campaign after working his way back from offseason hip surgery.
“It was just, it couldn’t hold the everyday grind — practicing and playing. That’s what I thought pretty quickly,” Rask said. “I felt really good during the rehab. I was skating, you know, started twice a week, going three times a week, four times a week and it was fine. But I was by myself or with the coach, one guy shooting so a little different from live action in a game or practice. And then playing that Anaheim game, I kind of stretched and tweaked my groin and hip a little bit and it (started) aggravating even more. And then it was kind of time to be honest with yourself.
“And I figured that I could have kept pushing, but what’s the benefit for me playing at 60% and kind of taking time off, taking a week off here, taking two weeks off, kind of taking a spot away from (Jeremy Swayman). So I just figured it’s more beneficial for everybody to call it. I had a great career, and I have no regrets.”
Rask acknowledged that while making difficult decisions is never easy, his decision to hang up his skates wasn’t overly difficult to make.
“It was an easy one. Yeah, you know, I’ve always been pretty honest with myself and like, I didn’t want to go out there and play it, like I said 60% which is like half-assed it so to say. So at the end of the day it was pretty easy,” Rask said. “Obviously it’s never easy to make tough decisions like that. But if you’re honest with yourself and, you know, you can’t play at the level you and your teammates and the crowd expects then what’s the question?”
Rask, who played his final game Jan. 24 in Anaheim, spent all 15 of his NFL seasons with the Bruins. He retired as Boston’s leader in wins (308) and second in franchise history in shutouts (52). Rask, 35, compiled a 308-165-66 during his time in Boston with a 2.28 goals against average and .921 save percentage.Â
Rask, a native of Savonlinna, Finland, was a member of the Bruins’ Stanley Cup team in 2010-11 and won the Vezina Trophy for the 2013-14 campaign.
