Tuukka Rask looks and sounds like a man who is both comfortable in his retirement and secure in the decision to end his career when he did.
Rask spoke publicly for the first time on Thursday evening at the Garden before doing the ceremonial puck drop before the Bruins-Devils game, most likely the last time Bruins’ fans will see him on the ice until his No. 40 goes to the rafters. He and his family were greeted with a standing ovation and the familiar “Tooo-ka” call from the Garden fans.
Rask, who had hip surgery in the offseason in an attempt to resume his career, detailed what went into that decision to pull the plug on a career that saw him record a Bruins record 308 victories.
“It couldn’t hold the every day grind of practicing and playing. That’s what I found out pretty quickly,” said Rask, now 35. “I felt really good during the rehab. I started twice a week to three times a week to four times a week and it was fine but it was by myself or with the coach or a guy shooting, so that’s a little different from live action or a game. Then playing that Anaheim game (his last), I stretched and tweaked my groin and hip a little bit and it kept aggravating. Then, it was time to be honest with yourself. I figured I could have kept pushing, but what’s the benefit for me playing at 60 percent and taking time off, a week of here or there, and taking a spot away from (Jeremy Swayman)? So I just figured it’s more beneficial for everybody to call it. I had a great career and I had no regrets.”
Considering the magnitude of the decision, Rask did not agonize over it.
“It was an easy one. I’ve always been pretty honest with myself. I didn’t want to play at 60% and half-ass, so to say. At the end of the day, it was pretty easy,” said Rask. “Obviously, it’s never easy to make a tough decision like that, but if you’re honest with yourself and you can’t play at the level you and your teammates and the crowd expects, then why would you push it?”
While he could have put the surgery off for a while if he wasn’t going to attempt a comeback, he would have had to have had it eventually, hew said. There was even talk of a hip replacement surgery for “a hot second” but the specialist told him it wasn’t quite necessary yet.
If there was one thing that was still nagging at him, it was that he originally tweaked the hip in the bubble in 2020.
“If anything, I blame COVID for all this because we had a great run a couple of years ago, I felt great, then we take a few months off and tweaked it in the bubble and off it went,” said Rask.
Rask is now living the suburban dad experience of driving his three daughters to school and dance practice and getting in the more than occasional round of golf. He will join the organization as yet-to-be-titled ambassador to sponsors.
Looking back, some of the highlights were obvious for him – winning the Stanley Cup in 2011 behind Tim Thomas tremendous performance, taking the team to the Finals in 2013 and 2019 and playing in the Olympics for Finland.
“It’s just the whole ride,” said Rask. “I had the luxury of playing here my whole career and we had some great teams, made some great friends over the years, so I’m very grateful that I was part of that. I look at the whole journey itself and meeting a bunch of different people and playing with a lot of great guys.”
Rask said he’s there for Swayman whenever he needs him.
“He’s a great kid. He’s got a great head on his shoulders,” said Rask. “I was looking forward to that, being a mentor on the ice. Obviously that didn’t happen, but now when I’m on the other side not playing, we have the connection and we communicate and I try to help any way I can. From me to him, it’s going to be helping guide him mentally through the whole thing. I know what it’s like to play here as a young goalie. There’s a lot of pressure on you. I told him right after I retired, call me if you need me – and don’t get too high or too low, because it’s easy to snowball from that either way.”
While some fans may hold the fact that he didn’t win a Cup as a starter against him, Rask spoke highly of his experience with the fans.
“In any sport, this is a great city to play for,” said Rask. “The fans are very supportive and they’re very into their sports. During the time I was playing, we were doing good and the house was packed every night, so it just brings you that extra energy. They were always very supportive when they ran into you around town and saying how much they appreciate what we do on and off the ice. So I feel like I have great relationship with them and I’m looking forward to celebrating with a bunch of them in the stands tonight and a bunch of them who are watching at home and joining them on that side now. We can cheer together, and chirp together.”
McLaughlin makes debut
The Bruins had four different bodies in the lineup when they played the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night at the Garden.
The expected third pairing switch – Mike Reilly and Josh Brown are in, Derek Forbort and Connor Clifton are out – did indeed happen, while there were a couple of changes up front as well. Billerica’s Marc McLaughlin, a free agent signing out of Boston College, made his NHL debut in place of an under-the-weather Craig Smith while Anton Blidh went in for Nick Foligno on the fourth line.
“We had discussed a while ago how to get all eight guys involved. (Reilly and Brown) had been practicing together so we’ll keep them as a pair and we’ll sort through as we go, and see how it breaks out after that,” said coach Bruce Cassidy. “Cliffy had a tough night the other night. But they’d been good, he and Forbort, a good stretch of good, solid, consistent, play-within-themselves hockey. So Forby gets an off night to keep the pairs on the right side etc. and to get them both in. Reilly, as I’ve said, was fine and was just the odd man out because I thought Forbort and Clifton being a pair would be easier against the type of teams we were facing.”
Cassidy said that Foligno had a lower body injury that was a day-to-day issue. He did skate with the other scratches on Thursday morning.
“We’ve got Columbus (Foligno’s former team) coming up so he’ll be ready to go on Saturday,” said Cassidy.
McLaughlin said he expected over 50 family and friends to be at the Garden for his debut.
“Obviously, a lot of different emotions. Definitely excited, to say the least to being playing in the NHL, but to be wearing the Bruins’ sweater at the same time is really special,” said McLaughlin in the morning. “I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped me get to the this point, coaches, family, friends. I couldn’t get here without you guys and I appreciate it.”
McLaughlin has been practicing with the B’s since signing his deal with the B’s last week.
“In practice, he’s been very professional in his approach. He’s ready to go when it’s his turn and alert and focused, so that part’s great,” said Cassidy. “He shoots the puck very hard. He passes the puck very hard, so he’s got hard habits for the lack of a better term, which are going to be required at this level. Let’s see how he mixes in in a professional environment. We’ve asked him to just play his game. He had success in college for a reason, so stick with that and we’ll see if he develops chemistry with his linemates and how his individual game goes. He’s played a lot of center, and he’s going in at right wing, so the board work becomes an issue with those guys. But he’s not the first guy to have to do that, and he has played wing, so it’s not new to him. But his natural position is center so at some point we may see how that looks as well.”