Rask still driven for Bruins, not contemplating retirement

Although Tuukka Rask isn't sure how much longer he'd like to play in the NHL, this much is clear: He's not contemplating retirement any time soon.

"So far, I still have that passion of winning and playing," the Boston Bruins goalie said Monday. "That drives me. The winning drives me. I haven't put a number into it, at what age it might be, but we'll see. Maybe it's 36, 37, maybe it's 42. You never know. [Zdeno Chara] is still playing and he's getting older (43 years old), so maybe I'll be the goalie who plays until 45, maybe not."

Rask, who turned 33 on March 10, has one season remaining on an eight-year, $56 million contract he signed July 10, 2013.

This season, Rask is considered a leading contender to be voted winner of the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL. He is 26-8-6, and among goalies to make at least 25 starts, he leads the League in goals-against average (2.12), ranks second in save percentage (.929), and is tied for second in shutouts (five). From Jan. 2 until the NHL season was paused on March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, Rask went 11-4-1 with a 1.84 GAA and .938 save percentage.

"I've never really thought of that, the age number that I would play until," Rask said. "I think a lot of it has to do with how much you want to keep playing, is your body healthy, and do you have that passion for the game? Those are the questions you're trying to think about -- it's not necessarily 40 or 36 or whatever. You'll play as long as you can and your body feels healthy and you want to keep doing it.

"But whenever that drive slows down, then you've got to rethink it, revisit, 'Is this really something I want to do?'"

As Rask has gotten older, the Bruins have made a concerted effort to reduce his workload. After playing an NHL career-high 70 games in 2014-2015 -- one season after he won the Vezina -- Rask played in 64, 65 and 54 games the following three seasons.

In 2018-19, he played in 46 games, his fewest in a full season since 2011-12 (23), when he was the backup to Tim Thomas, and this season, Rask played in 41 games prior to the pause while splitting time with Jaroslav Halak, who played in 31 games and signed a one-year contract extension with the Bruins on May 1.

Regarding his own extension, Rask said, "Because we travel a lot and it gets taxing mentally sometimes to be away from your family, I'm just trying to refocus my energy to the family and just trying to be present here at home, and I know that this summer I can start talking to the Bruins about a possible extension, and when that day comes, we'll see what happens. But definitely haven't put any thought into retirement, nothing like that. We'll see how this season plays out, and then we'll see if there's extension talks."

During the pause, Rask has remained in Boston, where his wife gave birth to the couple's third daughter, Livia, three weeks ago. Rask said he has been on duty with their two older daughters while his wife has taken care of Livia, with him sometimes going to the basement to play drums if he needs to blow off steam.

Otherwise, Rask is focused on the chance for the Bruins to resume their season, to potentially win the Stanley Cup that has eluded them in two trips to the Cup Final with Rask as their No. 1 goalie. He helped Boston to the Cup Final in 2013, when it lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games, and last season, when it lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games (he won the Cup with the Bruins as a backup in 2011).

He'd like another chance to finish off one of those runs.

"I just try to do my job as good as I can every night, give us a chance to win, and then what comes with that, it comes," Rask said. "But maybe in the future after I retire and look back, you kind of appreciate yourself more, see what you did.

"This city is known for winning championships and your success is measured by winning championships, and I've gotten to the Finals with the team twice as a playing goalie -- didn't win -- but I think it's still a great accomplishment to reach that point, to go to the Finals. Obviously, it would be nice to be known as a champion in those years, but it didn't happen. We just have to live with that. I think I've played a good career so far and hopefully there's some more years left and even maybe a championship in the future."