“The news about Carey Price’s knee is quite disheartening. »
Posted at 7:26
The DG of the Canadian, Kent Hughes, did not turn around the bandage. He ripped it off. Suddenly. It hurt. Except that at some point, we had to recognize the obvious: the superb career of Carey Price is coming to an end.
” This summer, [Carey] received an injection in his knee. It didn’t help him. To be honest, at this point Carey is not expected to be available at the start of the season. And I don’t know if there’s a path to a return for Carey this season through a rehabilitation process. »
Even in the long term, the prognoses are grim. Kent Hughes briefly mentioned an operation – without too much conviction. He stopped just before uttering the taboo word. The one that starts with the letter R.
” Retirement. »
Has Carey Price gotten there?
No.
First, because there is no urgency. He still has 31.25 million left in his contract. If he stays on the disabled list, he’ll make millions. If he leaves, he will have to give it up. Under these circumstances, would you retire? Neither do I.
Except that this decision – easy – delays a much more painful one: the moment of the announcement. A step feared by all elite athletes. Even if the pain is extreme. Even if the knee no longer holds. Even if the body no longer follows.
Why ?
Because they don’t see their sport just as a job. It is their great love. Their passion. The heart of their life. Carey Price started playing hockey at a very young age. At 9, he flew three times a week to train 320 kilometers from home. At 16, he moved to the United States, to line up with a junior club. Now 35, he has spent half his life in the organization of the Habs. “Being the Canadiens’ goalie is my identity,” he said last winter. And mourning his identity is more difficult than stopping Connor McDavid on the breakaway.
This phenomenon is not unique to athletes. Entrepreneurs are unable to leave control of their business to the next generation. Teachers, doctors and journalists refuse to leave the school, the hospital or the media in which they work. My former colleague Claude Gingras remained at The Press up to 84 years old! But in sport, the time of retirement is particularly difficult, university studies show.
Concrete cases abound. Roger Federer, 41, has a stewed knee. He hasn’t played a game for 14 months. However, he still has not announced his retirement. Tom Brady, 45, announced his retirement. Six weeks later, he changed his mind and confirmed his return to the game. As for Serena Williams, 40, she finally found the courage to say the word that begins with the letter R, last week. Not without difficulty.
PHOTO JOHN E. SOKOLOWSKI, USA TODAY SPORTS
Serena Williams, following her loss at the Toronto tournament last week, the day after her impending retirement was announced
“I never liked the word retirement, she wrote in vogue. It doesn’t sound like a modern word to my ears. I rather prefer to speak of a transition. Or maybe the better word is evolution. I evolve from tennis to other things that are very important to me. »
The sequel is even more interesting, and reveals the feelings that eat away at athletes in the twilight of their careers.
“I resisted admitting to myself or others that I had to stop playing tennis. My husband Alexis and I barely talked about it together. It’s like a taboo subject. I can’t even have this conversation with my parents. It’s unreal until it’s said out loud. And when I say it, I have a lump in my throat. I’m crying. The only person I really discussed it with was my therapist. »
For many athletes, retirement is stressful. Worrying. Yes, they will have plenty of free time. Yes, they have a lot of money. But their social life will be turned upside down. Sometimes for the best. Sometimes, unfortunately, for the worse.
According to the work of Barbara Jane Chambers (2004), one in eight NHL hockey players exhibits symptoms of depression after retirement. Another study, published in Canada in 2020, showed that retired NHL players were twice as likely as active players to experience “moderate to very severe” symptoms of depression. It is also a higher ratio than for the rest of the population.
All of these reasons explain why so many athletes resist the idea of retirement, and wish to extend their careers. For a year, Michael Bossy dreamed of a return to the game that did not materialize. Guy Lafleur came out of early retirement to play three more seasons. Jaromir Jagr is still playing at 50. Gordie Howe left the NHL at age 52.
Has Carey Price already made up his mind?
Maybe yes. Maybe not.
In any case, let’s not rush him. Respect his choice.
After his superb career with the Canadian, he deserves it.