Voracek acknowledges return to ice is unlikely this season

The toughest part for Jakub Voracek right now is not being one of the guys.
The Blue Jackets wing has played 1,058 NHL games over 15 seasons. That's a lot of locker room chats, an incalculable number of card games on the plane, and plenty of teammates he's become close to over the years.
But as Voracek waits out the impact of a concussion suffered Nov. 4 that has his return to the ice in doubt perhaps permanently, he's a hockey lifer who is looking at an uncertain hockey life.

"I think that's the biggest issue that I have with everything is not to be around the guys, the normal routine you go through every day," Voracek said in a chat with the Blue Jackets media Monday morning. "Marketa is getting sick of me at home as well. We have to find a balance of that.
"It's going to be a long one, but it is what it is. I tried to play through everything over my career, and I didn't miss many games. But with my head injuries in the past, it's pretty serious to take a look at and just make sure I consider all my options for the future, and then we'll see where it's going to take me."
For sure, things have been quieter around the CBJ locker room without Voracek penciled into the lineup, as he has been for most of his career. The Blue Jackets' leading point scorer from a season ago suffered the concussion in the first game of the team's trip to Finland to take on Colorado when he was hit by a high stick, and Voracek and the Blue Jackets acknowledge the seemingly innocuous injury has him away from the game indefinitely.
"From a team standpoint, it's a big blow as you know, but from a personal standpoint for him, it's probably a bigger blow," CBJ head coach Brad Larsen said. "He's a guy that's played over 1,000 games. One thing you love about Jake is just his passion to be around the rink, his passion for his teammates, his willingness to put the effort in every night. He was our top scorer last year. It's not really talked about much, and we haven't had him for a long time. We miss him.
"But at the end of the day, your health is No. 1. It looks a little bleak right now, but we're going to go by the doctors and their recommendations. But first, you're just thinking about him as a person and his family and taking care of him first, and then we'll see what that means for the hockey career as we go forward."
The Blue Jackets' first-round pick in the 2007 draft held in Columbus, Voracek debuted a year later and immediately showed he had the skill to stick at the world's highest level. He posted 39 goals and 136 points in three seasons in Columbus before being included in a blockbuster trade with Philadelphia.
Voracek went on to become an institution over the next decade with the Flyers, amassing 177 goals and 427 assists for 604 points in 727 games with Philadelphia. Those 427 assists placed him eighth in the NHL in that time span, and he topped 60 points five times and 80 points twice with Philadelphia while playing in every game of a season five times.
He returned to Columbus in a surprising trade at the 2021 NHL Draft when he was swapped for CBJ veteran Cam Atkinson, but Voracek immediately fit right in with the Blue Jackets upon his return. The Czechia native finished with 56 assists a season ago, the second most in a season in franchise history, and led the way with 62 points.
This year, he has a goal and five assists in 11 games to move into third place all-time among Czech-born players with 806 points, but while Voracek said he's not yet thinking retirement, he admitted there is only a "very slim" chance he can return during the 2022-23 season.
"After talking to many people, many doctors, we came to the conclusion that as of right now, I am not capable of coming back, or I won't be coming back anytime soon," he said. "Obviously I'm going to make my best efforts to try to do that, but it might be a long process. As of now, I don't see myself playing in the near future, but I'll do everything in my power to try to get back on the ice."
Voracek said he has a history of head injuries throughout his career, and he admits there is a concern about what might happen if he were to return then suffer another similar injury. To that end, he has spoken with Blue Jackets legend Rick Nash, the team's current director of player development who chose to retire in 2019 after a series of head injuries.
The good news is Voracek said that while he still has a few symptoms from the concussion suffered in Finland, he described himself as feeling "OK" right now.
"I'm capable of living a normal life off the ice, which is important," he said. "Obviously I still have some symptoms from the concussion and the concussions in the past. I see some rumors that I'm in a tough spot or something. Obviously it's not a great feeling to have a concussion, but it's not as bad as it sounds on the internet over the last few days."
Larsen said Voracek is welcome around the team given his veteran nature and what he's brought to the locker room since returning to Columbus, but Voracek said he also wants to respect the room and not step on any toes of players on the ice. He still has hope he can return down the road, but if this is the end of a decorated on-ice career, Voracek said he'll embrace what's next.
"Usually I wouldn't say I'm a sentimental person that gets stuck on things if you can't do them," he said. "If I can't do them and people are telling me I'm not allowed to (play), then I'll just move on and do something ese. I think that's the right approach for me right there. We'll see what the future holds."