Ryane Clowe’s Injuries May Force Him To Retire
By Phil DeHaven
When Ryane Clowe signed a 5-year deal with the New Jersey Devils in the summer of 2013, most felt this was a desperate move by GM Lou Lamoriello to replace a departing David Clarkson. Clowe brought a physical game with a scoring touch similar to Clarkson, but he also known for being injury prone and was coming off a concussion which made the signing risky at best. Fast forward to today and now there are reports that his prior head injuries may force him to retire before the end of his contract.
New Jersey Devils
In his first season with New Jersey (2013-2014),
Ryane Cloweplayed 43 games and added 7 goals with 19 assists. He had been on track to finish in the top 5 on the team in points until suffering a second concussion (3rd of his career) which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Having missed 39 games in his first season as a Devil, Ryane Clowe was eager to get back on the ice this season and be the player Lamoriello signed him to be. Even though he was well aware he was at risk of sustaining another concussion this year and the risks associated with it, Clowe decided to play again this year.
Ryane Clowe would play only 13 games this season before suffering his fourth concussion of his career on November 9th vs. the St. Louis Blues. Clowe would suffer post-concussion symptoms the rest of the season and was placed on the injured reserve ending his 2014-2015 season. While some people may blame Lou for taking a chance on him, you also have to keep in mind no one could’ve anticipated Clowe would suffer three concussions in only two seasons.
It is really sad to see any player suffer this many head injuries in a career, let alone in such a short amount of time. While I’m sure Ryane Clowe would love to get back on the ice for next season, the question of how healthy he will be in the future is what everyone is trying to answer. As the players and coaches gathered one last time for an end of season team picture, Tom Gulitti was able to talk to both Lamoriello and Clowe about his future.
The below quote is from Lou Lamoriello on if Ryane Clowe has been medically cleared and when that might happen.
"“Medically, he has not been cleared. In other words, he’s not well enough to be cleared and all indications are it’s going to be very difficult for him to play the game again.”"
This is certainly not good news for Clowe when your general manager comes out and says you may never play again. It seems like both Lamoriello and Clowe want to be optimistic that he will be able to get healthy and play again, but both sides know the reality of his injuries.
“…there’s been a big difference between playing hockey at this level and feeling a bit better. There’s a lot to lose. Obviously, it’s not my first one.” – Ryane Clowe
Clowe himself had the opportunity to speak with Gulitti about the timetable for his latest concussion. “When I got injured with a concussion, the doctors right then there was a lot of concern with the history, so there’s definitely no timetable. ”
While there may be no timetable for Ryane Clowe’s return, it is important to note that he does carry a hefty $4.85 million cap hit for the next three seasons. By not retiring right now, Clowe is still eligible to collect his salary. If the team doctors feel he’s unable to play then the Devils can put him on long-term IR where they will still pay his salary, but it wouldn’t count against their cap. This situation is oddly similar to what happened with the Philadelphia Flyers and Chris Pronger.
Pronger suffered a concussion and was suffering from Post-Concussion Symptoms similar to Ryane Clowe, so the Flyers placed him on the long-term IR and still have to pay his $4.9 million salary for the next two years. This solution works for both the Flyers and Pronger as he gets his salary without playing a single second and the Flyers don’t have to carry his cap hit.
While this could be an option for the Devils and Clowe in the future, I believe both sides still want to see if he could play again in the future. How far into the future that could be remains to be seen.