Confirmed with Link: Bryce Salvador retires

[WayneSid9987]

Just read the PT piece.
Really great and informative.
Congrats on the the great career Bryce.

 

[Cheddabombs]

One of the better pieces I've ever read on the Players' Tribune, maybe I'm biased though. Sal is a top notch, class individual. I hope he continues to be a part of the Devils in some capacity, and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.

Thank you Captain Sal!

 

[Brooklyndevil]

It was just a matter of time. Good luck Sal!

 

[rrekaj13]

Awesome read on a top-character individual. His on-ice issues aside (which he was clearly quite aware of), Sal has to be one of the best pro's thats come through NJ. I hope he stays around just to keep teaching.

If I remember correctly, Parise said he would name Sal the captain before eventually being named captain himself. Sounds like it was well-deserved by Bryce.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Time and injury took away his ability to play hockey at the highest level, but couldn't rob him of his class off the ice. He's a good guy who gave me some great memories in 2012. I wish him and his family happiness after his retirement, and I hope he has success in all future endeavors.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

Great article and awesome guy. What a warrior, hope to bump into him in Westfield.

Amazing, another player praising LL and the Devils. Nice to see that Salvador has been retained as an employee. He was a great captain and loved by his team mates.

 

[HobokenIrish]

Officially announced his retirement through the Players' Tribune.

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/bryce-salvador-devils-retirement/

Amazing piece by Sal. Love this guy.

Unbelievable. What a team player and great guy.

This is a good reminder that maybe there are things we are not privy to as fans that are going on behind the scenes that drastically affect a player. I'm sure a lot of people, me included, just assumed Sal was done and he should be gone. Meanwhile the guy is going through an incredibly scary time and just trying to get back to being a good husband, father and teammate.

 

[Rhodes 81]

I never wanted him re-signed after the cup run, as good as he was and as great a leader he was, it just made no sense to re-sign him considering we already had more than enough d-men and it was pretty inevitable that his play would not live up to his contract.

That said, we wouldn't have made it to the cup finals without him, and I truly believe it was valuable to have him around our young defensemen.

 

[Classic Devil]

I never wanted him re-signed after the cup run, as good as he was and as great a leader he was, it just made no sense to re-sign him considering we already had more than enough d-men and it was pretty inevitable that his play would not live up to his contract.

That said, we wouldn't have made it to the cup finals without him, and I truly believe it was valuable to have him around our young defensemen.

I'm sure he was a good locker room influence for Larsson and Severson. And I'm very happy he isn't just leaving the organization. He's a terrific ambassador.

 

[Comparison Ford]

He's definitely sticking around the local NJ hockey scene btw. I think he might be setting up his own shop from what I've heard. Great guy and hope to see him around some home games.

 

[Nocashstyle]

Happy to see him stick around. Total class. Total respect. And who can forget 2012?

 

[DevilsJunkie]

Another player who has made me feel good about being a Devils fan is no longer an active player on the team. This gives me a sad. However, I am happy to know the plans are for him to stay active in the organization in some capacity. You take your victories where you can get 'em sometimes.

Thanks, and good luck, Bryce. Captain.

 

[Smitty426]

Remember LL traded Cam Janssen for him. Not a bad return for LL and BS
He's a real nice guy, lives nearby me always good to the kids no matter what he's doing.

 

[Burner Account]

Great guy. Glad to see that he is apparently staying with the organization.

But did not belong as a player on this team given the direction it is heading in.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Here's the official press release. It does confirm he'll stick with the team to focus on growing the sport locally which is awesome.

http://devils.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778049&navid=DL|NJD|home

 

[Zippy316]

I understand your point, I just don't think he deserves a role with the organization. If they need him then that's OK but to expect a job is wrong based on what he has done with the Devils, just mho. Based on what you are suggesting then Elias when he retires should be the VP of hockey operations for the Devils.

I know that the article came out after you posted this but if you look at that article, you can't say that's not the type of guy you want in your organization or around your team. There's a huge reason he was named captain after coming back from that injury and having his 2011-12 season.

He was a great player extended a little too long, but by all means, he deserved that extension after how he played. It was probably the price we had to pay to keep him especially since he likely chose less to stay here.

 

[Bleedred]

Great player for most of his tenure with us, as well as the rest of his career. Old age just got him.

I loved the spine buster on JVR during the 2012 playoffs!

Good luck to him. Loved the article.

 

[Billdo]

Was never a fan of his last deal, but he was a good soldier. Shame injuries took away what he was good at it. Awesome that he is sticking around.

 

[MoonDragn]

His article explained so much. Remember everyone was blaming Greene for bad plays in 2010 but I kept saying something was wrong with Sal. It explains a lot. Not being able to track the puck on the ice would be a nightmare for a hockey player.

His battle to come back and his run in 2012 shows how much character he had. It also shows that maybe sometimes it is bad to hide what is wrong with your players. If Lou had not been so tight lipped and let the fans know what was going on, maybe we wouldn't have been so hard on the guy.

I think his spatial rehab actually helped his game in 2012 and it is a shame he got injured after that. A true warrior with class and now we know why he was made the Captain.

 

[Wingman77]

That read made me respect and appreciate him even more than I did already, despite some of the struggles he had towards the end of his career, a bunch of which seem to be explained in that very article, guy was a warrior and resembled what being a Devil has been about.

Great to see he'll be hanging around here as well.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I'm very happy this man got to represent my franchise.

It's scary reading about the mood swings and crazy sensory problems he had. Makes you wonder how many other guys have suffered like this.

 

[MadDevil]

Sal represented what it is to be a New Jersey Devil, both on and off the ice. I wish him nothing but the best. Thank you Sal.

 

[glenwo2]

Remember LL traded Cam Janssen for him. Not a bad return for LL and BS
He's a real nice guy, lives nearby me always good to the kids no matter what he's doing.

Funny thing is that Cam ended up coming back anyway.



Congrats to a solid career for Sal and hope the rest of his life is full of Great Health and Tremendous Prosperity for he and his family.

 

[DevilsFanInFla]

Despite his on ice decline, hard to dislike the guy as a person. He was elected Captain for a reason and I certainly appreciated his time here. His last 2 years were obviously painful to watch from a performance standpoint but you can't question his effort, heart, and desire to do what he could for the team. That article really shows how much more severe the injury was than we really knew. The fact that he was both willing and able to comeback is impressive. I wish him nothing but the best and I'm glad he's staying on board in some capacity.

 

[Kurt Cobain]

You could see this coming from a mile away. I never hated on Bryce even when it was pretty obvious he was done. He's just a guy you have to respect, I mean he was the captain for a reason. I'll also always remember how great he was that playoff run back in 2012. Maybe some of the points he accumulated that run were kinda flukey, which caused him to get that rediculous contract, he was still fantastic. Even if he didn't put up a point in 2012 he still would have been one of our better defensman. Seems like one of those guys who will be in the organization even after he's retired in some sort of capacity. Wish you all the best Bryce!