Former NHL goaltender Tuukka Rask isn’t leaving the NHL even though he’s now officially retired from it. A failed comeback in February told him it was time to hang up the skates, but in speaking with The Athletic, he’s realized the league has a lot more to offer and he plans to stay with the team in an executive role and perhaps, one day, look at becoming a coach.
The plan? Rask will be a brand ambassador for the Bruins and intends to remain in Boston.
Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic quotes Rask when he writes: “I’ll be hanging out with sponsors, golfing and shaking hands in suites. Rask added, “I was intrigued about the business side of things anyways. I don’t know what the future holds. Maybe I’ll get into coaching. Maybe not. But for now, I’ll be hanging out with sponsors.”
While it could take some time before there are whispers of him working behind the bench, perhaps Rask will be perfect for coaching. He already admitted that in choosing to leave the game as a player, he was doing so, in part, because he didn’t feel it was right for him to play at 60 percent when the Bruins had a netminder like Jeremy Swayman ready to go and take on the role as the future in Boston. That kind of thinking is exactly what makes for a good coach. Thinking of the organization and its players over his own personal on-ice happiness, he noted, “I just figured it’s more beneficial for everybody to call it. I had a great career. I had no regrets.”
For now, he’ll take things slowly, learn the ropes and act more as a face of the franchise at different events. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him kicking around the NHL Draft or showing up to events where the Bruins need a face to represent the organization. From there, what role he takes on will be intriguing to see.
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