Report: Datsyuk confirms his plans to leave NHL after season

By @MichaelCaples –

Sounds like those rumors were right – Pavel Datsyuk is indeed planning on leaving the NHL at the end of this season.

In an exclusive interview with the Detroit Free Press’ Mitch Albom, the Red Wings superstar said that he plans on returning home to Russia with one year still left on his contract.

“I’m thinking I go home after this season,” he told Albom. “I may not be done with hockey, but — it is hard to say — I think I am done playing in NHL.”

According to the report, Datsyuk was talked into coming back for this past season, and now, the urge to return home to spend time with his teenage daughter in his homeland is too strong.

He has yet to finalize things with general manager Ken Holland, however.

Datsyuk also says in the article that he feels bad knowing that if he does retire from the NHL this season, the Red Wings are still stuck with his $7.5 million contract as it relates to their salary cap.

Read more here.