Václav “Vinny” Prospal Officially Retires From The NHL
By Mark Huss
Vinny Prospal (22)
Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Just last week it was announced by the Vancouver Canucks that Vinny Prospal was going to be joining their AHL team, the Utica Comets, on a tryout contract. It seems as if Prospal has changed his mind and will retire from the NHL, which is officially confirmed by several sources. FanSided’s own Too Many Men On The Site reported on the news as well…
"After spending the first half of the 2013-14 season waiting for the call to play elsewhere, Prospal initially accepted an offer of a tryout contract with the Vancouver Canucks AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. After a change of mind, Prospal declined the offer and has instead decided to bring his storied 20 year career to a conclusion."
Vinny Prospal (22)
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Prospal spent 16 seasons in the NHL, two of those season were with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he quickly became a fan favorite. In his two seasons with the Blue Jackets he scored 28 goals, and had 57 assists for 85 points in 130 games played.
Here is a quick quote from Vinny via NHLPA.com
"I want to thank my teammates and coaches who helped me enjoy a 20-year professional hockey career when very few thought I would play even one NHL game.I sincerely want to thank the fans who have been so good to me, treating me with such kindness and respect, for the 20 years I have played here in North America in both the NHL and the AHL. Playing in the NHL was a dream."
If Prospal would have made a comeback in the NHL it would have been with a familiar face, John Tortorella. He had previous played on two teams under Torts, and Vancouver would have been the third. At the end of the article on the NHLPA website, Vinny goes on to specifically say thank you to Tortorella, as it seems the Canucks tryout contract helped him make his final decision to retire from the NHL.