Ducks goalie Bryzgalov to sit out rest of season

The Ducks announced today that goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov will return to his family home in Philadelphia and not play for the remainder of the regular season. Bryzgalov was assigned to Norfolk on Feb. 24 and made the decision after discussing the situation with his family and agent Ritch Winter.

Bryzgalov and Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray made the following comments:

"At the beginning of the NHL season, I spent all of my time with my wife and my children," said Bryzgalov. "I drove my son and daughter to their practices and games and enjoyed life. I had no plans to return to the NHL this season until the Ducks reached out to my agent, Ritch Winter. I agreed to return because of my respect for the Ducks organization, the quality of the team they had assembled and my long relationship with Bob Murray and the team. Given the way things have worked out, I have decided to return home to be with my wife and children, who did not move with me to Anaheim. It’s not the way I had hoped things would work out. But when you can return to a family you love, could life be any better?"