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Not-so stunning news: Peter Forsberg not optimistic about returning to pro hockey

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It’s pretty amazing that in a what’s been a busy summer (sarcasm alert!) we’ve been able to squeeze in talk about a guy who last played in the NHL back in 2007-2008, but here we are in the summer of 2010 and former Avalanche/Flyer/Predator Peter Forsberg keeps finding a way to grab some headlines.

While Forsberg has been playing some light-hearted hockey throughout Sweden of late he took some time out to address whether there’ll be more serious hockey played by him in the near future. If you consulted your Magic 8-Ball before reading this story, it might say “Outlook not so good.”

In an interview with Swedish television station TV6 following an exhibition game in his home country, the two-time Stanley Cup champion was not optimistic about his chances of continuing to play professional hockey.

“It’s no good,” Forsberg told TV6. “I have no balance skating. If it continues to be as it is today, I will not continue playing.”

While Forsberg stated that he was disappointed, he was not ready to completely close the door on his professional career. He plans to take some time off and then continue training in his home town of Ornskoldsvik.

“We may give it a week,” Forsberg told TV6. “The foot, I can not do anything about the equipment but it could get better.”

All right so maybe the 8-Ball should say, “reply hazy - try again” or “concentrate and ask again” which, undoubtedly, some reporter is going to do anyhow. Look, we’re two years removed from last seeing Forsberg play in the NHL and we’re about five years removed from last seeing Peter Forsberg have a great season in North America. His 2005-2006 season in Philadelphia saw him rack up 75 points. His two NHL seasons after that saw him combine for 69 points, an ignominious end to what was once a great career.

One can understand why Forsberg would want to give it one more chance at glory, but at this point with how bad his foot injury is and how it just cannot stay healthy, at some point hanging it up for good has to be the answer. Forsberg isn’t getting any younger and many fans are growing extremely tired of having this same, eventually disappointing story come up each year. Until that day Forsberg announces that he’s done and stops playing even in Europe, expect that fans will continue to try to make Foppa their own slice of Brett Favre in the NHL.