Daniel Carcillo retires from NHL to focus on helping former players

Chicago Blackhawks forward Daniel Carcillo officially retired from playing hockey Thursday. But he hopes his legacy and impact in the game will continue even though he no longer will suit up for a team.

Carcillo’s immediate goal is to help players with their transition from playing the sport into the real world.

Said Carcillo in The Players’ Tribune where he announced his retirement from playing:

My immediate goal is to help athletes transition to the next phase of their life — whether it’s continuing education, finding internships with companies, or networking with other athletes who are dealing with the same issues. My mission is to help guys who are dealing with anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about their future. Not down the line, not next week, but right now. 

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Carcillo was hit hard by the death of former teammate Steve Montador in February. In a heartfelt plea via The Players’ Tribune in April, he explained why it was important to make sure something like that never happened again.

Steve was a 12-year NHL vet who battled addiction at certain points in his career before getting sober. Since he walked away from the game due to concussions in 2013, he was struggling to figure out what to do next. But I was still in complete shock and disbelief.

So now, Carcillo will work with his non-profit, Chapter 5 (Montador wore No. 5) in order to help recently-retired players figure out their goals in life. Carcillo spent his day with the Stanley Cup this summer raising money for the organization.

I don’t want to wait. I want to get guys internships now. I want to help guys find a structure and a purpose now. When guys are done with the game, the game shouldn’t be done with them. We sacrifice too much for that to be the status quo. 

Carcillo, 30, finished his 429-game career with 100 points and 48 goals

For most of his career he was known as an agitator, and played fast and loose with a lot of the rules. He had 1,233 penalty minutes and nine suspensions.

He won two Stanley Cups, both with the Blackhawks. Carcillo entered this past summer as an unrestricted free agent.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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