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New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk announced his retirement on Wednesday due to an eye injury suffered during the 2019-20 NHL season.
“I don’t even think it was a decision. When you play with it and realize that there is something wrong, and then you take tests, it really wasn’t a decision; ‘was a lifestyle choice, I guess, “said at a press conference. “If I were to go back and play and not be able to see someone come in and be hit, I could be a lot worse than I was.”
Boychuk had to undergo stitches and plastic surgery after being cut to the right eyelid by the skate of Montreal Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen on March 3.
The 36-year-old defenseman has played 725 games in the NHL. He was drafted 61st overall in 2002 by the Colorado Avalanche, who traded him to the Boston Bruins in 2008. Boychuk played six seasons with the Bruins, establishing himself as a physical force to help them win the Stanley Cup in 2011.
Boychuk was traded in 2014 to the Islanders, where he played 404 regular season games, including 64 last season. He traveled with the Islanders to the Bubbles in the playoffs and made three playoff games, missing part of the playoffs after sustaining a head injury in Game 1 of the preliminary series against the Florida Panthers. His last playoff game was Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Islanders were knocked out by eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
The retirement was somewhat of a surprise, given that Boychuk reported in June that his eye “seems to be almost 100%” and that it was “nothing to worry about being on the ice again”.
The Islanders said the most recent injury was Boychuk’s second to the same eye and that he had undergone “numerous and extensive medical examinations” before making the appeal to end his career.
“I knew there was something going on, but I didn’t really want to think about it because I wanted to play,” Boychuk said. “You try to play through everything, and I did. Then when I did the tests, it opened my eyes, I guess.”
Retirement is financially beneficial for Islanders. Boychuk, who had two years left on his contract, will be placed in the Long-Term Injury Reserve, removing his cap of $ 6 million from their ledger in 2020-21 and giving the Islanders about $ 9.9 million in ceiling space.
The Islanders have reportedly made deals with unrestricted forward Matt Martin, defenseman Andy Greene and goaltender Cory Schneider. But the extra space that has just opened is crucial for their efforts to re-sign restricted free agent Mathew Barzal, the 23-year-old forward who has led the team in scoring the past three seasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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