All ProSports

Its been a long while since I’ve talked hockey and because I love the sport so damn much I may be one of the only people even thinking about it today, especially on the eve of the opening night for the NFL (go G-MEN!), but I’m going to do it anyway so here it goes.

NHL training camp believe it or not, opens in about two weeks and there is one player out there that many people around the league are keeping a very close eye on. Mats Sundin the 37-year old former captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs remains in limbo unsure of wether his body can handle another grueling NHL season.

The talented player has received offers from a number of teams including the Maple Leafs who would like to see the Swede retire as one of their own. Yet, after 17 seasons in the NFL Sundin is just not convinced that it would be worth coming back to give it one last shot.

“I have to prepare differently and warm up 30, 40 minutes before a practice session,” he said. “I didn’t have to do that when I was 25.”

Sundin has won Olympic and world championship gold medals for Sweden, but hockey’s ultimate prize has continued to elude him.  If Sundin is to return it seems unlikely that he would sign withToronto, a team that has little prospect of reaching the Stanley Cup finals. Not knowing personally the offers he has received my bet is that Sundin like Ray Bourque and other before him will try to sign with a contender and make one last run at the Stanley Cup.

For now the Sundin’s focus is on another hobby of his…poker. He has inked a deal with PokerStars.com joining former tennis star Boris Becker as the site’s ambassador. He will play tournaments for charity, he said, and will head to a European Poker Tour event next week in Barcelona, Spain.

In other news from around the league Joe Sakic will return to play at least one more season with the Colorado Avalanche. The 39-year old Sakic has spent 19 years with the franchise and inking the deal means that he will spend at least his 20th with the franchise as well. Sakic did comment on how grateful he was that the Avs did not pressure him into an early decision, like the one Brett Favre was pressured into and that it did have a positive effect on his decision.