Reports of Brian Rafalski's retirement may be premature, at least they are if you ask the Detroit Red Wings. The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James spoke with Red Wings general manager Ken Holland about the reports that Rafalski has decided to retire, and Holland says he hasn't heard anything about a decision being made just yet.
"I know there are tons of rumors out there," Holland told the Free Press. "I do know he’s doing a lot of thinking. I did meet with him at the end of the year. I’ve had conversations with him. For lack of better words, I do know he’s doing a lot of thinking about next year. He’s got to make some decisions. I haven’t talked to him in a week. He hasn’t told me he’s retiring."
Considering there has been talk that Rafalski's decision will be announced by the Red Wings sometime this week, Holland's comments certainly contradict what we have heard so far. Perhaps this is just a case of the Red Wings trying to keep the story quiet until Rafalski gets a chance to make an announcement on his terms, but for now it's clear nothing is official.
When Rafalski's decision is made -- either to come back or retire -- I would expect it to be announced by the Red Wings.