Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne told reporters he got tired in the second half of the 2012-13 season but said he had not yet made a decision if he would return for another NHL season.
Selanne had 12 goals and 24 points in 46 games, but eight in his final 28 games, and one goal in seven games against the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
"The first half, I thought I had the energy," he told reporters in Anaheim. "The second half was a bit more disappointing. The schedule was tougher also. I felt, especially when [Nick] Bonino got hurt, I felt like I didn't find that chemistry I was looking for. Obviously that affected me. I started coming down a little bit, and the job was harder.
"I felt that even though it was a shorter season, the workload was way harder than normal. In a normal season you can pace yourself a little better and you don't have to play seven nights in 10 days all the time. Every game was like a playoff game because you played against your own conference and division teams. It's a totally different level than a normal season. I felt it was way harder than normal. Whatever happens [next season], I know it's going to be easier. It sounds weird, but that's how I feel.