(Boston) Goalkeeper Tuukka Rask signed a prorated $ 1 million contract for the remainder of the season with the Boston Bruins.
Posted at 3:24 p.m.
Winner of the Vézina Trophy in 2014, Rask will receive a salary of $ 545,000 for the remainder of the season.
The 34-year-old veteran goaltender was a free agent who was left without a contract while recovering from hip labrum surgery, performed during the offseason.
At the end of the last campaign, he said he didn’t want to play for any team other than Boston.
“This is our home,” he had mentioned. “At this point in my life and career, I see no reason to go anywhere else, especially in my current state of health and facing a five or six month healing period. I hope I can heal well and we can discuss contracts when the time is right. ”
Rask only appeared in 24 games last season as the team decided to manage their workload. He missed three weeks in March and April, but explained that he had had back problems trying to compensate for his hip injury.
Rask’s next outing will be his first since Game 6 of the second round of the playoffs, when he conceded four goals in a loss to the New York Islanders last June.
“I feel good,” Rask said last week on a video conference with the media.
“The biggest problem for me was the blockage in the joint and the pain it created. All that is gone. […] I don’t have to worry regarding it blocking once more and the pain coming back. So I feel good, ”said the goalkeeper from Savonlinna, Finland.
Rask says he never thought of retiring during the off-season. The allure of once once more wrestling for the Stanley Cup and ending his career with stars Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand played into his decision to attempt a comeback.
“A lot,” Rask admitted last week, alluding to the spirit of brotherhood that is forged in a team where players have known each other for a long time.
“I just wanted to come back and maybe make myself useful and try to complete my journey with players that I have played with throughout my career. ”
