Now what? That's what faces athletes when playing days are over
Now what?
That is the burning question for many thirty-something athletes who face the stark reality that their professional career is over.
Now what?
If they can't answer that question in a timely manner, some will go into a tailspin from which they never recover.
“Sleeping until 2 p.m., that's not good,” said retired Chicago Blackhawks winger Daniel Carcillo. “When I'm not texting or calling anybody back, that's when you know something's going on. You just have to try and stay connected to people as much as you can. If you don't, then nothing really changes.”
Carcillo's Chapter 5 nonprofit foundation — named for good friend Steve Montador, who wore No. 5 for the Blackhawks and was found dead on Feb. 15, 2015 — was formed to help recent and soon-to-be NHL retirees.
In the first of this three-part series, we focused on how Chapter 5 came about, why NHL fans should care, and how the foundation is trying to turn lives around.
Today we offer the retirement perspective of a wide array of current and former players — in their own words.
Brian Campbell,
37-year-old Hawks defenseman:
“I feel like some guys prepare for it and some guys don't. If you don't prepare for it and are thinking you're just going to have these paychecks rolling in all the time for the rest of your life, that's not the case. You've got to really be smart about it (and) from an early age, too, even when you're in your 20s playing because you never know when it's going to end. …
“I've done stuff (on TV) with David Kaplan. Did stuff when the Hawks were in the playoffs (last season) to see if I like it and to see if I can open up some doors, too. I did it for that reason. I didn't do it because I had nothing else to do.
“I was doing it because I wanted to see what it was like and try to make some connections.”
Michal Rozsival,
38-year-old Hawks defenseman:
“Honest to God, I have not (thought about the future). I feel like I'm so focused. I've got so much going on as far as family and hockey. … Obviously the first thing that comes to my mind is I want to spend more time with my kids (ages 15 and 10). Try to make up for the time that I've missed playing hockey. …
“As far as any job or anything, I don't really know. … Maybe I will go around and try different jobs and see if I like anything. Maybe I will get into coaching — go out and try to coach kids.”
Bruce Boudreau,
62-year-old coach:
Now head coach of the Minnesota Wild, his last season as a player was 1992 in the AHL.
“I never missed anything. I've gone from playing to coaching all in one step. I didn't have the misfortune of having to sit at home and go, 'What do I do with my life now?' And thank God because I would have been a basket case.”
Ryan Getzlaf,
31-year-old Anaheim forward:
“I've had teammates that have struggled with it. I've watched their relationships dwindle. If you get around your wife or your family all the time and you're not used to (that), it's different. It's a different adjustment and if you don't treat it with respect and you just think it's going to pass, that's when you struggle.
“I definitely have thought about how to transition myself; make sure me and my wife are on the same page all the time with where our direction is after hockey. … I play golf, I'm into cars — I have a car dealership. And my wife has all her interests. It can't just be you and hockey, and all of a sudden — boom — we're here. You have to prepare for it.”
Marian Hossa,
38-year-old Hawks forward:
“I have some things running in Slovakia. I joined a small company with my cousin back home. My dad is into it. They are running it. (Do) I see myself being involved deeply in that? Probably not totally. But right now I couldn't tell you exactly what would be next.”
Andrew Desjardins,
30-year-old Hawks forward:
“I'm not really thinking that way. You don't really want to go there. Some guys have good education, and obviously that could help them out down the road. For guys like me, I don't know. I haven't put too much thought in it. Just trying to live in the moment, and when that time comes I'll figure something out.”
Jordin Tootoo,
34-year-old Hawks forward:
“In this day and age, you have to have a plan for life after hockey. Maybe 10, 15 years ago we all thought hockey was going to last forever. As far as life away from the game, I'm not going to get into it, but obviously there's a plan. But as of right now, it's just focus on enjoying the game while I'm here and just soak it all in. Me clearing up my lifestyle really helped me focus on what's going to happen after I'm done.”
Joel Quenneville,
58-year-old Hawks coach:
“I was kind of fortunate. When I was playing I was working in Hartford as a retail broker in the off-season, getting ready to do that when I was done. My last year that I was in the NHL in Toronto, Cliff Fletcher gave me the opportunity to be a player/assistant coach with the (AHL's) St. John's Maple Leafs working with Marc Crawford. … So I was lucky to stay in the game and work around some great people right off the bat in the Toronto organization. …
“It's always more fun to play than coach. But I've been very fortunate to be in some real good spots and to be around some good hockey people along the way.”
Brent Seabrook,
31-year-old Hawks defenseman:
“You know I haven't thought about it too much. We've got a place that we'd like to live in, but I still think that's a ways away. I don't know what the next chapter brings. Just kind of going year by year right now. I still feel good and healthy, I'm happy playing the game, and I'm focusing on that. …
“I'm sure it's going to be tough to try and find something different. But just have to try and find something. All the help you can get you've got to take, and hopefully that makes the transition easier.”
Johnny Oduya,
35-year-old Hawks defenseman:
“My life's been very planned, very structured, very goal-oriented, very passionate and very fun obviously for a long time. You've been kind of in a bubble of the hockey world. It's something that I'm extremely grateful for and happy that was a part of my path.
“With that said, I think the next chapter is going to be something that's a little bit more unstructured in a way where maybe I can try out different things and get a feel for some things that I really like to do.”
Eddie Olczyk, 50-year-old
former player and now TV analyst:
“I still felt like I could play (after the 1999-2000 season with the Blackhawks). I had an opportunity to go to Edmonton on a tryout. I just felt that I wasn't going to put my family through that and made a decision that I was going to retire.
“I didn't know what I was going to do, but I had a good idea that I was going to get into the broadcasting part of it because for the prior four years I had been doing work on NHL radio and on ESPN. … I was lucky enough that the Pittsburgh (coaching) job opened up. I actually applied for the Blackhawks job when I retired and they gave it back to Dale (Tallon).
Jamal Mayers, 42-year-old
former player and now
Comcast SportsNet analyst:
“For me, the first six months my routine pretty much stayed the same as though I was going to be playing until my wife reminded me that I don't have to work out — that I could stay and help with the kids. That was probably the first reminder that life was about to change.
“I was very fortunate. I kind of stepped into the TV thing; pretty much had conversations during the Finals in 2013 with NHL Network and auditioned that summer and was fortunate enough to fall into something very quickly.
“But replacing that competitiveness, replacing that routine was very difficult. … The 'real life' that I'm living now is a much slower pace. When you're a player, you're preparing for that next game, next practice and it's on a plane, off a plane. It's a roller-coaster of a high-paced lifestyle, and when you're retired, it slows down considerably.”
About this series
Sunday: Why Daniel Carcillo began Chapter 5 and how the nonprofit organization helps retired and retiring players.
TODAY: Observations from NHL players nearing retirement and those already experiencing the “real world.”
Tuesday: After struggling for more than a year, former Blackhawks players Daniel Carcillo and Ben Eager find a new purpose and passion as youth hockey coaches.
Watch the video: Visit dailyherald.com to see former Blackhawks Daniel Carcillo, Jamal Mayers, Eddie Olczyk and Troy Murray talk about the challenge of moving on after retiring from the NHL.