The Detroit News
Published 11:10 ET July 12th, 2020 |
Former Red Wings defender Mike Green has joined a growing list of NHL players who will be opting out of the game on August 1 toward the end of the season.
“Because of the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 and after a lot of thought, I decided not to go back to the game for personal family health reasons,” Green said in a statement.
“It was a difficult decision to know that I would miss the opportunity to play with a Stanley Cup contender in the playoffs. I wish the boys the best of luck and appreciate the support of the Edmonton Oilers.”
Green, which was taken over by former Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland at the close in February, played only two games for Edmonton before suffering a knee injury. He was expected to be a defender of the third pair when the Oilers start the best-of-five play-in series against the Chicago Blackhawks next month.
In 48 games in Detroit that year, Green had three goals and eight assists with a plus-minus rating of minus-32. After signing a three-year, $ 18 million contract with the Red Wings in 2015, he scored 37 goals and 104 assists with a minus of 73 in 303 career games in Detroit.
After Green has to suspend the playoffs, the trading date between Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and Holland is now complete.
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The Wings would have been given a third round selection in 2021 if the Oilers had reached the Western Conference final and played Green in half of their games.
Now in 2020 they will get a selection for the fourth round. Detroit also received the Kyle Brodziak center, which had to retire due to a back injury.
Green is the sixth player to choose not to participate in the extended 24-team playoff after a deal to resume the season has been closed.
Steven Kampfer from Boston, Karl Alzner from Montreal, Roman Polak from Dallas, Travis Hamonic from Calgary and Sven Baertschi from Vancouver also decided against a rejection.
Kampfer, who played 10 games with the Bruins this season, said his wife and son had a congenital defect that could complicate the virus and called it “one of the most difficult decisions” to make.
Polak is a pending free agent who last month approved a deal in his Czech home country next season and told reporters there that he had no intention of returning to the NHL when the game resumed. Baertschi, who spent most of this season with minors, is under contract until 2020-21.
“Sven told us late yesterday that he had decided to end the Return to Play NHL program,” said Jim Benning, general manager of Canucks. “It was a difficult decision, but ultimately we respect and understand it.”
Hamonic was the first player to publicly choose not to play given the coronavirus pandemic. Hamonic’s daughter was hospitalized with breathing problems last year, and he and his wife also have a little boy. Her health concerns, not the impending free act of the 30-year-old, prompted him to sign out.
“I wish I could lace up my skates and fight out there, block a shot and help my team win, but my family has and will always be the first,” said Hamonic. “To be the father of my young children every day is the most important job I have. I love this game and my team. This is a decision that is extremely difficult for me to make. “
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league would do injury and illness reporting from teams to protect players’ privacy.
“Medical privacy is important in this process,” said Daly. “Nevertheless, as a league we understand that we are obliged to be transparent, particularly with regard to the COVID virus. At least for now, we will maintain a policy where the league essentially announces league numbers and clubs. It is really prohibited to provide information about COVID test results and, in order to make the system functional, future information about injuries. “
