33-year-old forward Rich Peverley is still uncertain about his future in the NHL.
Peverley hasn’t played a game since collapsing on the bench during a Dallas Stars game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 10, 2014, missing the entirety of the 2014-15 season.
The March 10 game was canceled and Peverley was rushed to a hospital after being attended to in the hallway outside the lockerroom for a “cardiac event.” He eventually underwent surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat.
Late last season there were reports that Peverley was closing in on a return, and got cleared for off-ice workouts, but it didn’t happen.
As of July 1, Peverley is an unrestricted free agent and, according to his agent Allain Roy, as told to the Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa, he’s still undecided on whether or not he’ll make a return to the NHL.
While he’s undecided, he still hasn’t been cleared to return to the ice, so the discussion of his return may not have much substance now. He’ll likely need to be cleared to resume skating and playing before a team is willing to take a chance on offering him a contract, something the Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika discussed earlier this summer saying, “The guess is that Peverley is going to retire.”
Peverley is a veteran of 442 NHL games, spending time with the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Atlanta Thrashers, and Nashville Predators. He has scored 84 goals and 157 assists in his career.
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