Rich Peverley has officially retired from the NHL. The forward was undecided about his future as recently as July, but he has since decided to hang up his skates and take a front office job with the Dallas Stars.
Peverley’s comeback bid always seemed like a long shot. Peverley collapsed on the bench during a game back in October of 2014 after a frightening Atrial fibrillation incident. He was cleared for off-ice workouts during the 2014-15 season, but the Dallas Morning News reports that Peverley still isn’t 100% and that means it’s time to call it quits.
Via the Dallas Morning News:
“It was working out, monitoring how I was doing, continuing to see doctors to exhaust every avenue and find out exactly if I could play. It’s a case that’s very complicated, and what I have learned is there is no 100 percent to medicine and, unfortunately, I can’t play anymore.”
While this news is incredible sad, it’s nice to see that Peverley will stick around the NHL albeit in an off-ice role. He’ll take on a role in the player development department, though the exact details of his job haven’t been made public. At the very least, he’s excited to help kids trying to move up through the ranks.
“I’ve kind of been in a small development role in Cedar Park, and I really enjoyed that. I also was able to be almost an assistant coach as the eye in the sky, and that was something I was very proud of and I took very seriously. And that helped me get through those months and days when I really wanted to play.
I think, not being drafted, I can help kids who are trying to move their way up. Hopefully, I’ve been through something that every player can relate to.”
Despite the fact his career is over, it’s great to see Peverley sticking around the sport.
