Did Patrik Elias play the final game of his career? If so, he ended with his best game of the season.
In what would be a fitting end to his career, Elias scored three points in the New Jersey Devils 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. When pressed about his potential retirement from Hockey Night in Canada’s Scott Oake, Elias said he’s on the fence about hanging up the skates.
“Honestly, you asked me a week ago, I would probably say it’s probably it. I actually felt better than I thought I would the last three games and physically I’m feeling actually quite positive. So, we’ll see what the future holds, we’ll see what’s going to happen in the summer. I’ve got to be honest with myself. I’m sure Ray [Shero] and [Jon] Hynes are going to be honest with me, but there’s a lot of decisions to come. The way I feel these three games, hopefully this not it, but you never know.”
I can’t imagine how tough it would be to walk away from the league, especially after such an illustrious career like Elias’. The Czech native has appeared in 20 career seasons, scoring more than 1000 points (1025) in 1240 games. Elias has set many Devils records and led the team to two Stanley Cups. The potential Hall of Famer was one of the most underrated players in NHL history.
This season was largely a bust for Elias. He missed a large portion of 2015-16 with knee surgery, ending up appearing in just 16 games while scoring 8 points.
Elias contract is coming off of the books, so if he wants to return he’ll have to work out a new deal with the Devils. Retiring now would make sense. Elias has accomplished so much in his career. But, if he wants to come back, New Jersey will likely make room.
