PK Subban Plans to Return to The NHL: But Not as a Player?

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S. Harper
January 30, 2023 (8:59)

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It was very shocking this summer when NHL defenseman PK Subban would announce his surprise retirement from the game he so desperately loved.

Being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens back in 2007, Subban spent most of his career with the Habs until a blockbuster trade with the Nashville Predators sent Subban to the Predators for Shea Weber.

Subban's heart always remained in Montreal, so it was awesome when the Canadiens gave him a hero's send off earlier this month along with his best friend Carey Price, it was the end of an era.

Now that Subban's playing days are over many wondered what's next for Subban who's already made numerous guests appearances on Sportsnet and ESPN's NHL Panel. But Subban in a recent interview would surprise many when he hinted at possibly becoming an NHL owner.

Transcript from Subban's recent interview:

I can now take my time and figure out exactly what suits me. I mean, I can set as many goals as I want, but those goals may change, Subban also threw out the possibility of potentially joining a NHL Ownership but didn't exactly know when that would be saying:

What I love is just to have that freedom to do what I like. It's got to be the right fit and the right situation where I can, have the impact that I want to have.

Returning to Montreal earlier this month as a homecoming game to honor my contributions to the Canadiens was special, but the most special moment of it was reuniting with my long time teammate Carey Price.

I knew that he was going to come. I reached out to him when I knew I was going to get honored that night. And what he said he wouldn't miss it for the world. We had sort of created a situation where we would have been able to embrace each other. And that was really important for me, because I know it was important for him too, it was a difficult time.

It just brought back 13 years, when I first started with the Canadiens, that was such a fun, great time for Carey
and I. So to be able to share that moment with him in front of the world was pretty awesome.

I had more people that I played for that wanted to change my game and how I played then respected it. It's just one of those things that's what I love to about the game of hockey. While playing in the NHL, is that when the playoffs came, you could almost think that the coaching was almost done. It was up to the players you just played 82 games, you know how to play. I always kind of just let everything go and just did what I needed to do to get the job done in the playoffs.

When people talk about my game, and the way I played the game that same game at Nathan Phillips Square on the outdoor rink in downtown Toronto, I played that same game at Sonny Lee outdoor rink in Etobicoke. That's how I learned how to play the game was playing shinny. And it was just reading, reacting, it was being in the moment, it was not thinking about anything other than the game, and I played off of that instinct my whole career.

- Pk subban

It would definitely be interesting to see Subban return to the NHL, but as an owner?