Concussion forces Svoboda to retire

After 18 seasons, the former Lightning defenseman will become an agent.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 2, 2002

Svoboda

TAMPA -- Petr Svoboda fought the urge to cry almost as hard as he fought opposing forwards in front of the Lightning net.

It was a day the 36-year-old defenseman had put off for more than four months; a day to finally say his playing career was over.

So as Svoboda tried to put into words what it is like to leave the game, especially when it is not on one's own terms, his voice quivered. His eyes teared.

He took a breath.

"It's very difficult," he said Wednesday at the Ice Palace. "It's something I did not understand until I was sitting here today. You kind of, in your mind, try to put things aside and try not to deal with them. The camaraderie between the guys and the game, I'll miss it tremendously.

"Unfortunately, that's the way it is."

It is this way because Svoboda has not overcome the headaches, nausea and dizziness that have plagued him since he sustained a concussion Dec.14, 2000, in Phoenix on a clean hit by Shane Doan.

It is this way because Svoboda finally listened to his doctors, specifically Karen Johnson, head of neurology at Montreal General Hospital, who told him he should leave the game after 18 seasons.

Another hit, they said, even one with less force than the one that caused his current condition, could cause another concussion that might take even longer to heal.

Svoboda said he has not skated since the injury.

"I love the game of hockey, and I still believe, in some ways, that my legs and body are good for another two or three years or four," Svoboda said. "I still to this day believe I am going to play. But unfortunately, I won't. I'm going to have to deal with it on a daily basis."

Svoboda will stay in the game by being an agent for fellow Czech players. His first clients are Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina and Pittsburgh's Robert Lang.

Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said he looks forward to negotiating with Svoboda "because he is honest," and they already have started talking about Kubina's new contract.

"If Petr Svoboda represents him, he will be a player of his caliber," Feaster said. "If Petr comes to us and says he has a guy we should look at, we'll be all ears."

"I've played hockey all my life. I want to make sure I stay close by. Maybe this will make the transition easier for me," Svoboda said.

"I'll work with the young guys, and they'll make me feel like I'm still playing because they will share these moments with you when things go well and when they don't."

Things didn't go well for Svoboda that day in Phoenix. Doan's hit forced Svoboda's stick to snap up and whack him across the face, breaking his nose and causing the concussion.

Svoboda said he never has watched the video and never will.

A year after the hit, Svoboda's day-to-day life was almost back to normal. But there still were symptoms when he exercised and his heart rate exceeded 140.

He began thinking about calling it quits. It took him almost five months to decide.

Svoboda played 1,028 games for the Canadiens, Sabres, Flyers and Lightning. He has 58 goals and 399 points and is plus-206.

He won a Stanley Cup with the 1986 Canadiens and scored the winning goal for the Czech Republic in the gold-medal game at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. He represented the Lightning at the 2000 All-Star Game.

"I've been fortunate to play for 18 years," Svoboda said. "Everybody wants to go out and play the last game. Unfortunately, my last game turned out not to be the pleasant one. I'm going to have to deal with it on my own that the last game, that's what it was."

It was almost enough to make him cry.

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