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WILKES-BARRE — In a perfect world, Tom Kostopoulos said he envisioned ending his career winning the Calder Cup, tossing his gear in the trash and moving on with life.
But an overtime loss in Game 7 to Hershey ruined any hope of perfection, and now Kostopoulos said he needs some more time to decide if he’ll return to the game for an 18th season.
The Penguins’ captain was the last player to meet with head coach Clark Donatelli during Wednesday’s exit meetings, and afterward he reflected on the season, his career and if it will continue.
“I’m trying to figure it out. I’m going to take a little time, relax, and see where things stand after that,” Kostopoulos said, adding that he’ll make the decision in the next few weeks.
While Kostopoulos ponders his future, he also reflected on the past a bit. On the season, he said he’s never seen as much change as far as players going up to Pittsburgh and coaches being shuffled. But in the end, the team handled it pretty well.
“My last few years in Wilkes-Barre there’s always been a lot of change. But this year was something I never experienced before,” Kostopoulos said. “There’s just good people in the organization. As hard as it was, there’s always good people to lean on here.”
Kostopoulos was often mentioned as one of the leaders that the team leaned on throughout the season. Even on Wednesday, before players packed up and left for the summer, they all mentioned how valuable it was to have Kostopoulos as their captain.
It’s an aspect that Kostopoulos never thought about when he first joined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as a 20-year-old rookie. He also didn’t imagine that he’d be playing for the Penguins 17 years later.
“I don’t think I ever envisioned my career taking the path that it had. It’s kind of interesting the way it’s come in a complete circle,” Kostopoulos said. “I’ve enjoyed my career so far.”
But Kostopoulos not only developed as a player since 1999, he’s also changed as a person. At age 37, he likes to think he’s a bit smarter than he was as a rookie 17 years ago. And after playing for two AHL teams and six NHL squads, Kostopoulos said the person he is today is partly the result of all the teammates he’s played with over the years.
“When you play with 20 guys every year, you learn a little bit from each guy,” he said. “You absorb a little bit of everyone’s personality.”
While the decision to return or not has yet to be made, Kostopoulos did say he loved playing on a line with Carter Rowney and Jake Guentzel and would like to do so again if he comes back. He added that this year’s Penguins team was a fun bunch to keep up with.
The old vet still loves the game of hockey and whenever retirement does come, he’d like to stay involved in the sport. But after a career that spans 1,247 pro games and 17 seasons there’s one thing that hasn’t gotten any easier.
“It’s hard saying bye to the guys because you know the team is never going to be the same,” he said. “We had a good group here, and it’s a little sad knowing you won’t play with some of the guys again.
“The tough (clean out) days are the ones when you lose.”
So does that mean Kostopoulos wants to go out a winner and raise the Calder Cup before he decides to retire?
“It doesn’t have to be,” he said. “It’s kind of the way I want it to be.”
