The Manitoba Moose will have a new team captain next season.
Winnipegger and current Moose captain Peter Stoykewych announced his retirement on Tuesday at the age of only 27. A head injury limited him to just 12 games last season.
“It takes a toll on you,” Stoykewych said on a video call on Tuesday.
“And it takes a toll on your body. With that inevitably comes some injuries. I was unfortunate enough to come across a few big injuries in my career. Been able to overcome most of them and this past season here — had a head injury that just kinda bothered me outside of hockey as well. At that point kinda took some time to reflect and re-evaluate. I talked to the doctors that I’ve trusted for the past 6 years. I have the utmost confidence in them and we discussed things and just about life in general. And decided it was time to move on from hockey.”
Stoykewych feels fine now but said he had several concussions throughout his career and it played a big roll in his decision to hang up the skates now.
“I’ve had upwards of probably double-digit concussions here,” Stoykewych said. “I had a bunch diagnosed, but I’m sure a few that went undiagnosed as well.
“It got to a point where it started to affect my life outside of hockey and as soon as that happened – I was always able to recover from them just fine. As soon as it started to bother me outside of hockey, then I decided it was time to retire.”
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Stoykewych played the last five seasons for the Moose after he was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL Draft.
“Loved every second of it,” he said. “I feel like it was not only a great run, but it was a good time for me to step away from the game.”
Stoykewych was named their team captain prior to the 2018 season. He scored 19 goals with 53 assists in 267 career pro games with the Moose and St. John’s IceCaps.
READ MORE: Winnipegger Peter Stoykewych named as Manitoba Moose captain
He said it was not an easy decision to call it quits.
“It’s tough to give it up,” Stoykewych said. “It’s always tough. You never think it will happen in general, you know. When you’re low to mid 20’s, a professional hockey player – you think you’re invincible. You never really think about the day you’re going to retire.
“It’s incredibly difficult. I guess, as I’ve had time here obviously as I only played a handful of games this season. So I’ve had some time to reflect and think about it. But I mean, not an easy decision, and the thing you’re going to miss the most are the things that never happened on the ice. It’s all the stuff in the room, and all the people you get to meet along the way.”
Stoykewych is a former member of the AAA Winnipeg Monarchs and the Winnipeg Wild. He also played two seasons for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winnipeg Blues and suited up for Colorado College for four years before turning pro.
READ MORE: Manitoba Moose defenceman Peter Stoykewych playing for hometown team
But he’ll always cherish his time with his hometown Moose after cheering them on as a youngster.
“I just feel so fortunate to be able to do it,” he said. “So many pro players play for such a long time and never get to play in front of family and friends and that kinda thing.
“I was always blessed and always tried to appreciate it and not take it for granted the fact that my friends could come after they were done work. My parents could come every single day to watch me play.”
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