Blue Jackets forward Jakub Voracek could be facing early retirement
On Friday, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced that at the advice of doctors, forward Jakub Voracek would be taking some time away from the game after suffering a concussion during the team's two-game trip to Finland in early November.
Voracek will be holding a press conference at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Monday and while an official announcement regarding potential retirement is not expected, there's a very good chance that he's played his last game in the National Hockey League.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen even admitted that the 33-year-old could be forced into early retirement.
"But I'm more worried about him having a normal life," Kekalainen said. "He has a young family. The most important thing is that he lives a normal life."
He added, "There are a lot of guys who have had this happen, and one's working in our front office right now, with his jersey number hanging in the rafters."
He added, "There are a lot of guys who have had this happen, and one's working in our front office right now, with his jersey number hanging in the rafters."
The Kladno (Czechia) native has suffered concussions in the past, while the specific number he's sustained is unclear, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported that Voracek had one earlier this season in addition to the one he has now.
Voracek has one more year left on his contract following the 2022-23 season with a cap hit of $8.25 million.
Source: The Athletic
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