Pavel Datsyuk’s professional hockey career may be coming to a close
It appears one of the best hockey players to ever play the game appears to be reaching the end of his career.
Pavel Datsyuk, now 42, has played the last five years in the KHL with the last two with his hometown team, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.
In a letter to fans this week and reported on by KHL writer Aivis Kalins, Datsyuk said he’s contemplating hanging up the skates.
Dear Fans!
I want to be honest with you and do not disappoint your expectations.
I have a difficult decision to make – what to do next. I really want to continue to help my home team Avtomobilist as a player. But at the same time, I ask myself: Will I be ready to play another full season? Will my body let me do it?
Together with the coaching staff we have made a decision about my individual preparation plan for the 2021-22 season.
At the end of August I will understand if I can continue my career and again go out on the ice in red jersey of Avtomobilist in front of hometown fans.
Datsyuk grew up playing in Russia before being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the sixth round of the 1998 draft. He didn’t join the team until 2001-02 winning a cup with the team that year winning another in 2007-08.
Widely considered one of the best defensive forwards in the game, Datsyuk was also a dynamic offensive threat. In 953 NHL games, he scored 314 goals and 918 points.
Since leaving the NHL, Datsyuk has appeared in 260 KHL games scoring 204 points.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.