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Devils captain Salvador announces retirement

Wednesday, 09.02.2015 / 10:40 PM / News

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Devils captain Salvador announces retirement
Unrestricted free agent defenseman Bryce Salvador announced his retirement Wednesday in a first-person post on The Players' Tribune website.

Defenseman Bryce Salvador, who played 13 seasons in the NHL, announced his retirement Wednesday.

Salvador missed the final 67 games of last season with the New Jersey Devils with a bulging disk and nerve damage in his lower back. He became an unrestricted free agent July 1.

"I just think there were a lot of factors over the last two seasons," the 39-year-old told Northjersey.com. "I could just see that the body wasn't responding as it used to and it was just getting more and more difficult to stay healthy. And the position that I was in, being the captain, this last season it was really tough to be the team leader and not be present. So I just kind of realized that even though I can play, I feel I can play and come back, I just didn't know if I'd be able to make it a full season.

"Knowing that, I just kind of really said, 'Does it make sense to put myself in that situation when the mind is still there and I feel good, but maybe the body is telling me it's time?'"

Salvador served as Devils captain since 2013.

"Bryce Salvador is a first-class individual who exemplified leadership both on and off the ice," Devils general manager Ray Shero said. "His selection as captain the past three seasons was most appropriate, as he was well-respected by his teammates. On behalf of the entire organization, I wish Bryce and his family well, and look forward to working with him in his new role."

Salvador will remain with the organization to focus on growing the sport in collaboration with the Devils' rink partners throughout New Jersey.

"I'm going to be involved and I'm excited about that," Salvador told writer Tom Gulitti. "I'm not really one of those guys that needs a title or anything official. I'm just excited that I'm going to have an ongoing relationship with the Devils.

"I hope in maybe 10 years from now, my goal is to be in management in the NHL. My horizon over the next 10 to 15 years is slowly understanding the game from the business side and all of that stuff because I really do have an interest in business and that part of the game. That takes time and that's what I'm looking at focusing my energy and efforts into, so I'm pretty excited about that and just with the opportunity the Devils are going to extend for me to pursue that and see if that's something that I enjoy doing."

Salvador was a sixth-round pick (No. 138) by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1994 NHL Draft and made his debut with the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 5, 2000. He had 24 goals and 86 assists in 786 NHL games with the Devils and Blues.

Salvador missed the 2010-11 season with a cochlear concussion. He returned in 2011-12 to help the Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final with four goals and 14 points in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games. The Devils lost the Final to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.

He had played 94 games since the start of the 2012-13 season.

"When I missed the whole season, as funny as it might sound, that's kind of a little bit when I just saw what retirement was about," Salvador said. "So ever since I missed that season I realized it was going to end, and I think going through that year off and then playing every game I played after missing that year I looked at it as just being fortunate.

"So I don't think there was ever a moment where I said, 'Now, I'm retired and 100 percent feel it's right.' I was pretty fortunate to go through a year of being away from the game to just appreciate the fact of playing in a game and coming back, and beyond that point it was just a blessing to play every game after that."

Shero has said he is uncertain if the Devils will have a captain this season.

"In my opinion, the team needs a new captain and there's a great core of guys in there," Salvador said. "And I think me coming to camp would delay that process of somebody stepping up, and that wouldn't need to happen there. So I wanted to make sure that I'm not in the way of that process."

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