What exactly will your job with the Devils entail?
“That's another decision where you're not really worried about a title. I'm going to be involved and I'm excited about that. I'm not really one of those guys that needs a title or anything official. I'm just excited that I'm going to have an ongoing relationship with the Devils. I hope in maybe 10 years from now, my goal is to be in management in the NHL. My horizon over the next 10 to 15 years is slowly understanding the game from the business side and all of that stuff because I really do have an interest in business and that part of the game. That takes time and that's what I'm looking at focusing my energy and efforts into, so I'm pretty excited about that and just with the opportunity the Devils are going to extend for me to pursue that and see if that's something that I enjoy doing.”
Was making the decision to retire emotional?
“I'm pretty fortunate in a sense that I'm really active in hockey, so a lot of the efforts that I would be putting into playing hockey will just be kind of directed into the business side of hockey and just being involved in, I know a lot of people say it but, helping to grow the game. Really local here, I'm getting involved in youth hockey through the Rockets hockey association. I'm getting involved in a hockey equipment store (He co-owns xHockey Products with former NHL goalie Peter Ing) . So, I'm really getting involved here locally in hockey. I'm putting a lot of energy into hockey and then what I'm going to be doing with the Devils as well, so it's been a great transition from that standpoint in that I'm going to put all of this energy, I'm used to doing something every day, every day, instead of to nothing.
“So, I think that's really helped a lot, just the fact I'm still actively involved in hockey and, in terms of an energy level, a pretty high level. I'm going to helping train a lot of kids. Over the next extended time here in New Jersey, we're going to be doing a lot of great things here locally with training facilities and training programs and I'm going to be actively involved in a lot of that stuff.”
So, you plan to continue living in New Jersey long-term?
“Yeah, I'm going to be here for quite a long time. My oldest one, he's really into theater and acting and stuff like that, so there's no better place to be. And my youngest one is at the age where he's getting into hockey. So, there's no need to move, absolutely not. My family calls New Jersey home.”