Devils Captain Bryce Salvador Retires from NHL

Earlier this morning, Bryce Salvador officially announced his retirement from professional hockey in an article for The Players’ Tribune.

Today, I am retiring from the National Hockey League. I achieved my goal of coming back so that my boys would be able to remember me as an NHL player, and now I am content to step away on my own terms. But I am not leaving hockey, and I am not leaving New Jersey or the Devils. This organization never stopped believing in me, even when I was spinning around in office chairs.

The write-up details the damage to his vestibular system caused by his concussion back in 2010 from a first-hand perspective. His day-to-day quality of life was degrading, and it not only kept him off the ice, it also interfered with his role as a husband and father.

After spending the entire 2010-2011 season off the ice visiting specialists, vestibular rehabilitation, and vision therapy, he was able to return to hockey and played a key role in the Devils’ playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011-2012. Now, he’s leaving the game on his own terms to recover and spend time with his wife and two sons. He also plans to continue working with the Devils as well as with local New Jersey hockey organizations.

Last season, Salvador played just 15 games for the New Jersey Devils. It was rumored earlier this year that he would not return. Gerard's piece from back in March took a look at this at the time and highlighted some key moments during his career with the Devils.