“…At this stage of my career I don’t think I’m ever going to be really healthy again so I’m just going to do my best and see how it goes.”
A very true, but probably very painful, admission from one of the greatest hockey players ever.
I watched much of this game, and while Forsberg is no longer the dominant player he once was, he was still quick and had some good moves. Oh, and his passing skills haven’t diminished one bit – which was always one of his biggest strengths. On pretty much any team in the NHL, given what I saw, he’d still be considered a solid #2 centerman.
He didn’t skate the same, tho. I’d heard prior to the Olympics that he’d has some rib problems, and he skated like it. His upper body was held stiffly and he tended to shy away from hits along the boards. He did not seem to have any problems with his infamous foot, however.
I caught the post-game interview (or maybe it was a period intermission interview – I watched online on NBC’s Olympic site), and what he said there seemed to be different from what was said in the article. He didn’t sound like he was going to be playing much longer, let alone in the NHL. He was thrilled to be there – on camera, at least – but he sounded like a man who was looking to retire. And sooner rather than later. Like maybe as soon as the Olympics are over, but then again, he might wait until the season’s over for Modo.
So, as with all aging athletes (and I hate saying that since I’m only a few months older than he is), it’ll be a wait-and-see situation. Probably even more so than it has been. While it’s great getting this last chance to watch him play again, I’m hoping he decides to hang them up and move on with his life. There’s a lot more out there for him to do than play hockey.
