David Krejci might be on the eve of his 34th birthday, but the Boston Bruins center isn't contemplating retirement and would like to play beyond his current contract, which expires after the 2020-2021 season.
"I'm not planning on retiring, that's for sure," Krejci said. "I want to play after that. How long or what's going to happen, I don't know. I guess we'll see what happens after that next year. But definitely not planning on going into the next season as being my last."
Krejci, who was selected by the Bruins in the second round (No. 63) of the 2004 NHL Draft, has played his entire 14-season career in Boston, including winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. In 911 regular-season games, he has 686 points (207 goals, 479 assists).
This season, Krejci had 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 61 games as the team's No. 2 center before the season was paused on March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He scored 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) in 81 games last season to help the Bruins advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
But it is unknown whether the Bruins want to retain Krejci, who is currently the highest-paid player on the team with an average annual value of $7.25 million. Boston signed center Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $31.5 million contract extension (AAV of $5.25 million) on November 27, and forward prospect Jack Studnicka is pushing for a role at the NHL level as well.
"The older you get, the more you appreciate everything," Krejci said. "Your life changes at home - you get married, you have kids. So you appreciate all the little things, just being around the guys, being on the road. Then being home, you appreciate everything a little bit more than before, like before I had kids.
"I'm really enjoying coming to the rink every day, being on the road with the guys. … Just was living the dream before this whole situation happened."
