Krejci’s Retirement From Bruins Closes Chapter on Stellar Career

“The decision was made I would say when my injuries started to happen at the end of the season, but I didn’t want to rush my decision,” Krejci told reporters Tuesday. “I wanted to take my time and really think things over because you don’t want to make a decision when the emotions are going through you. I just realized there’s never a right time, never a right moment to retire from NHL, but I felt like it was time. I knew my body couldn’t take 82 games anymore. That was the decision.”

Krejci would close out his NHL career with 231 goals and 786 points in 1,032 games. He’d add 43 goals and 128 points in 160 postseason contests and was a prime example of how a player should compose themself throughout his career.

While Krejci’s departure from the NHL marks the end of an era, the door remains open for a potential return to on-ice competition overseas.

“Yeah, it is,” Krejci affirmed when asked if the possibility of playing back in Europe exists. He hinted at the chance of a return to the ice, sharing, “if at some point around Christmas, I feel like, you know, let’s get ready, play a couple of months somewhere in Europe, get ready for the World Championship, that’s something I’m thinking about. If I decide to keep going then it would definitely be after New Year’s.”

While it’s disappointing to see Krejci retire from the NHL and leave Boston once again, it’s not hard to understand why he’s making this decision. Even if he finds himself playing hockey again in the future back home in the Czech Republic, the level of commitment needed and the toll his body would take wouldn’t even be remotely comparable.

“I just felt I gave it my all, played through some injuries last year,” Krejci shared. “And I left everything I had there at the end. I know if I came back to the NHL, I would definitely not be the same player I was last year.”

Krejci’s Retirement Follows a Historic Season

There’s also the emotional toll that comes with playing sports at a high level that simply cannot be ignored.

Krejci’s final NHL season was one for the books with the Bruins setting a new NHL record for wins and points in a single season. Despite the miraculous run, Boston’s journey culminated in a bittersweet defeat against the Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“I have lost some tough years before, but this one I would put probably right next to 2019,” Krejci shared, expressing the depth of the disappointment, comparing it to the team’s loss in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

In the wake of his retirement, Krejci chose to shift his focus from the final season to the entirety of his illustrious and memorable career. “Right now, to be honest, I put that behind me,” Krejci said. “I’m trying to look back at my whole career, trying to understand all those things that I accomplished and how hard it was to do that. The sacrifices everybody made for me to be able to chase my dreams — I’m trying to really kind of go down memory lane and appreciate all those little things.”

The joys and challenges of the NHL won’t fade from Krejci’s memory. He expressed gratitude for the league’s unmatched grandeur and the everyday grind that accompanied it. “I’m gonna miss a lot of things. I’ve talked about how I’m gonna miss my teammates, that’s for sure,” he’d share. “But also as a kid, watching it on TV or reading about it in the papers, you want to make the NHL not just because it’s the best league in the world, it’s also the best stadiums in the world, the way they have it set up with the stadiums, the fans, the kind of whole package.”

Krejci’s decision to retire also came just weeks after Patrice Bergeron retired from the NHL as well. Though Krejci always played second-fiddle to Bergeron, there was never a sense of animosity between the two. There was never any sort of jealousy that existed within Krejci due to Bergeron’s role as the team’s No. 1 center throughout their time together with the team.

“I never really cared about being No. 1, No. 2 [centerman]. As long as I wasn’t No. 3,” Krejci joked. He highlighted the camaraderie and mutual support, specifying, “We just kind of did what we did. I was trying to be the best version of myself, he was trying to be the best version of himself. And we just kind of pushed each other to be better in a healthy way.”

Anybody who watched these to players together over the course of their legendary Bruins’ careers could have probably figured this much out for themselves. The respect that Bergeron and Krejci clearly shared and will continue to share with one another is unmatched. It was also on full display as the two shared a moment on the ice following what would prove to be both of their last game in the NHL.

As he steps away from the NHL, Krejci remains optimistic about the leadership within the Bruins’ dressing room. He mentioned players like Brad Marchand , Charlie McAvoy, and David Pastrnak, expressing confidence in their ability to carry the torch forward. In particular, Krejci had high praise for Pastrnak, a close friend, a fellow Czech-born player and a linemate for the ages. “When he first showed up at 18 years old, we knew he’s got skills,” Krejci said of Pastrnak. “He’s a good player, but you can’t predict the career he’s had.”

Krejci’s retirement marks the end of a remarkable chapter in the NHL, leaving a legacy of skill, teamwork and dedication. While the ice may see his absence, his impact on the game and the Bruins will undoubtedly resonate for years to come. As the NHL world bids adieu to David Krejci, fans and fellow players alike will forever cherish the memories and moments he brought to the sport.

It will be a matter of when, and not if, No. 46 will be raised into the rafters one day in TD Garden.