NHL Pause Brings Uncertainties for Bruins Krug

The world is currently filled with great uncertainty, people watching and waiting to see just how much more the COVID-19 pandemic will do in regard to those who get it and those who unfortunately will not survive.

While everyone is dealing with this crisis, it is safe to say that uncertainty is most definitely not a friend to the professional hockey player.

“That’s because we’re robots. Every day we go to the rink, we have a routine. We get up, we set our alarms. If it’s a practice day or a game day, we’re setting our alarm for a certain time. I think most guys probably have two alarms on their phone. And then you get up, go to the rink, have breakfast, stretch. We go to meetings, jump on the ice, get off the ice, eat lunch, and then our routine goes on from there. So, it’s just about re-establishing some sort of routine and just sticking with it,” Torey Krug told media on Tuesday via video teleconference.

Routine is essential to hockey players—perhaps even more so than to you or I. As Krug described, they are used to doing a lot of things while at the rink that goes well beyond the skating most people conjure up when they think of practice.

For Krug though, the uncertainty currently reaches beyond just not having his robotic routine. Krug’s contract with the Boston Bruins is set to expire this summer. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st unless something happens between now and then. He indicated that though the players are in touch with each other and others of staff to date there has been no communication in regard to his contract.

“We haven’t had any talks since this thing has started. And I can’t speak for any other UFA that’s in a position like I am but in terms of my situation here in Boston, we haven’t continued any talks or made any progress in that regard,” Krug said.

Most players who are at the end of their contract at least have a bit of time to prepare, in that they know when the regular season will end and then if their team goes into the playoffs, there is still a normalcy to that. COVID-19 and the need to end things abruptly with, for the Bruins, still 12 games to play in the regular season, has possibly stripped Krug of that opportunity perhaps to savor those games. The Bruins were first in the league and as such were definitely moving on to the playoffs. Barring any major injury, he was expected to continue playing with the Bruins at least for a minimum of 16 to 19 more games.

Instead, with all the unknowns about if and when the season may resume, and how that could be accomplished coupled with contract negotiations—whenever they take place—Krug may have come to an end to his career as a Boston Bruin.

“You know, there’s so many unknowns and you can only control so much of that. And for me, personally, I really hope I did not play my last game as a Boston Bruin. It’s been a place for me and my family to grow and my love for the game and playing in front of these fans is, you know, it’s been very special to me. I think if anything it’s made me wonder about this process a little bit more. I was just in the moment and playing games to help my team win and hopefully push us in the right direction to win a championship and now with this season paused I’ve definitely wondered about what’s going to happen,” Krug said.

I really hope I did not play my last game as a Boston Bruin. — Torey Krug

Indeed, the unknowns are many. In addition to if the season resumes, there are still a lot of concerns about how that would be done. Where would they play? Would fans be allowed to be there? Could the teams and staff be kept safe both from COVID-19 but also from injuries to their bodies from the break and perhaps not being in “fresh out of training camp” condition. Hockey is a business, and with the loss of revenues, there is added confusion how the monetary aspects will mix with all the rest of the unpredictabilities.

Krug in no way indicated that what he is going through is any more than what millions of people around the world are currently experiencing. Many of us balk at change, even change we know is coming. Hockey teams are more than a group of guys that wear the same sweater. Routine is sacred, as he expressed. But the connections between the players is almost physical. In the Bruins locker room words like “family” are used, but not used lightly. And like a sudden death in the family, Krug’s place with the Bruins could be gone and there was no time to prepare.