Markus Nutivaara hasn’t retired…yet.
That’s what Nutivaara’s agent Todd Diamond told San Jose Hockey Now. Diamond expects Nutivaara to make a final decision on retirement by mid-May.
On Sunday, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier suggested that Nutivaara’s career might be over, because of a hip ailment that has dogged him since last season with the Florida Panthers.
“We put in a lot of time and a lot of rehab and he just couldn’t get it to feel right,” Grier said. “He got to the point where he couldn’t play at the NHL level without any pain. I think he’s just decided he couldn’t do it anymore, basically.
“He went back home and wants to be a father and be there for his kids and feel good about himself post-hockey.”
Last summer, the San Jose Sharks inked the 6-foot-1 defenseman to a one-year, $1.5 million show-me contract. The 28-year-old Finn had only played 31 games in his previous two seasons with the Panthers, but before that, he was a reliable puck-mover for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 2015 Blue Jackets seventh-round pick, however, was only able to get through one pre-season game this past fall, before getting sidelined once again. That was his lone appearance with the San Jose Sharks last season.
There’s no doubt, if Nutivaara chooses to come back, it will be a long, hard road. Here’s hoping for the best for the young man…and Iitu!
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