Nathan Horton’s Career Could Be Over
Mar 28, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Nathan Horton (8) falls on the ice in front of Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) at Nationwide Arena. The Penguins won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
To this point former Bruins power forward Nathan Horton has missed every game this season for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The reason, he has been diagnosed with degeneration of the entire lumbar region of his spine. However, the Blue Jackets aren’t about to give up hope on the 29-year-old just yet.
In three seasons with the Boston Bruins he appeared in 169 regular season games and tallied 56 goals and 51 assists.He was poised to re-sign in Boston, but chose to have a ‘new beginning’ and signed a seven-year contract worth $37.1 million with Columbus in 2013. Last season he appeared in just 36 games with the club as he sat out waiting for his shoulder to heal after surgery and had an abdomen injury. This season, he was slated to play on the right wing with line mates Boone Jenner and Ryan Johansen, as well as provide some veteran leadership in being the only member on the team that has won a Stanley Cup Championship. For now, he sits in Columbus resting his back while his teammates travel to California for a three-game road trip.
“But to hear him get diagnosed with [degeneration of the spine] is tough to hear as a former teammate, and a guy that I’m really good friends with. You just hope he can make a recovery. Not just for hockey, but for his own personal health. He’s got two kids, and at 29 years old you want to be able to play with your kids and live a healthy life.”-Milan Lucic
Naturally, Horton is frustrated with the news. While he has been unavailable to speak with the media, reporters were able to get in touch with his agent who stated;
“Nathan is a frustrated kid right now,” Horton’s agent, Paul Krepelka, told the Dispatch. “This is normally a really easygoing guy, a happy guy, but he’s just so frustrated by all of this. “He signed with Columbus to make an impact, to play a big role on a team that’s on the rise. He was so excited about doing it. The fact that he hasn’t been able to make any meaningful contributions is just extremely frustrating to him.”
Former line mate Milan Lucic told CSNNE that he had been told about the injury over the summer while catching up on the phone and that he “wishes him all the best.”
“But to hear him get diagnosed with [degeneration of the spine] is tough to hear as a former teammate, and a guy that I’m really good friends with. You just hope he can make a recovery. Not just for hockey, but for his own personal health. He’s got two kids, and at 29 years old you want to be able to play with your kids and live a healthy life.”
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While surgery is an option for Horton, one has yet to be scheduled as it is considered a last resort and isn’t guaranteed to get him back on the ice. The sad truth is, we may never see Horton pull an NHL sweater over his head again.