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A20 SPORTS
Thursday 3 OcTOber 2019

Callahan's move to TV may be model for other injured players

By STEPHEN WHYNO skates for good. and the menacing defen-
AP Hockey Writer When he steps on set for seman was inducted into
Ryan Callahan figured he the first time on Oct. 16, the Hockey Hall of Fame
would visit a specialist and Callahan figures to have before it was over. Pronger
learn how to fix the back is- a harder time compart- joined the hockey opera-
sues that plagued him last mentalizing what's going tions staff for the Florida
season. on with the Lightning than Panthers once he was no
Instead, two doctor visits his new "teammates" in Ot- longer under contract.
brought the diagnosis of tawa. Savard moved into coach-
degenerative disk disease "I don't know anybody in ing this year as an assistant
and the end of his playing (the Senators) organiza- with the defending Stanley
career. Once Callahan tion; I've never played for Cup champion St. Louis
came to grips with that, that team," Callahan said. Blues. Clowe spent two sea-
he decided he would like "I think what'll be more sons as a New Jersey Devils
to go into management or weird is analyzing Tampa assistant and had a short
broadcasting. Bay's games just because stint as an ECHL coach,
There was one problem: In this Feb. 2, 2019, file photo, Tampa Bay Lightning right wing I know that organization so and Clarkson is coaching a
Callahan had one year left Ryan Callahan (24) controls the puck during the first period of well and I'm good friends high school team.
an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers, at Madi-
on his contract and can't son Square Garden in New York. with a lot of the players on Coaching is not in Calla-
work for a team until it ex- Associated Press the team still." han's plans, which made
pires next summer. So the Callahan chose to stay in broadcasting the logical
34-year-old signed on to be do mentally. So, for Ottawa had his contract traded hockey without ruffling any step.
an NHL Network analyst this to give me permission to to the Ottawa Senators for feathers. It hasn't always "I didn't like that side of
season, possibly creating a do this, I'm thankful for that salary-cap reasons. It's simi- been so simple for play- the game," he said. "It was
road map for other players and thankful for the NHL lar to situations with injured ers whose careers are cut more behind the scenes
to follow if injuries cut short for wanting me to do it, as players Chris Pronger, Da- short by injury but move on things that I wanted to
their on-ice careers. well." vid Clarkson, Marc Savard, quickly to other jobs. learn more of. Obviously
"Just to stay busy and stay Callahan played a com- Mikhail Grabovski, Ryane The NHL took some criticism I've never done it before.
in the game is the biggest bined 878 regular-season Clowe and Dave Bolland, for hiring Pronger in the de- I don't know if I would en-
thing," Callahan said. "To and playoff games with whose contracts were partment of player safety joy it or not enjoy it, but it's
go from 100 to 0 just like the New York Rangers and moved around the league in 2014 with three years something that I wanted to
that, it would be tough to Tampa Bay Lightning but after they hung up their remaining on his contract, learn more of. q