It was announced Monday afternoon on the Boston Bruins official website that 34 year old Simon Gagne will not return to the Bruins organization this year due to “personal reasons”.
Back in early December, Gagne decided to take an immediate leave of absence as his family learned that his father, Pierre Gagne, was ill with an incurable cancer. On December 26th, 2014, we unfortunately learned that Simon’s father passed away at the age of 68.
The official transcript, as provided by the Boston Bruins official website, can be viewed below.
“The last month has been extremely difficult for me with my father being sick and his passing,” said Gagne. “To play in the NHL you have to be 100% mentally, emotionally and physically committed to the game. At this time I know that I cannot be close to those levels. The Bruins organization and my teammates have been great to my family and I during this time. When I decided not to return this season, I spoke to Peter and assured him that I did not want the organization or my teammates to be impacted. Together we made the decision that my status would be changed so that the team could have a full active roster. In addition, I would like to thank the fans and the NHL family for all of the support that they have given my family and I during this difficult time – it has truly meant a lot.”
Gagne has not spoke on whether or not retirement is in the picture as of right now, but it’s not something to rule out at this point. Despite the fact that we may have witnessed Gagne’s last season in the NHL, the success that he has had in his 14 seasons in the NHL should not be overlooked. In 799 games played, Gagne recorded 288 goals as well as 309 assists for a total of 597 points. In addition to that, Gagne has gathered many awards which include NHL All Rookie Team in 1999, NHL All-Star Game in 2001 and 2007, Pelle Lindbergh Memorial as the Philadelphia Flyers Most Improved player in 2000, Bobby Clarke Trophy as the Flyers MVP in 2006 and 2007, and won the Stanley Cup in 2012 with the Los Angeles Kings.
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