After his second season in Europe, longtime NHL forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard sat back and wondered about calling it a career. Three concussions cost him years of hockey, so the 31-year-old thought about his future.
“I’m healthy right now, my head is fine, I have a beautiful family,” Bouchard said. “Is it worth it? And the answer was no. I guess my priority was my health.”
Bouchard announced his retirement Friday, hanging up his skates after 593 NHL games, a vast majority with the Minnesota Wild. A 2002 first-round pick, Bouchard spent parts of 10 seasons with the Wild and is third in franchise history in games played, fourth in goals, second in assists and third in points.