Sunday, July 31, 2011

Former Rockets d-man calls it a career


Last November, Clayton Barthel knew his hockey career was in jeopardy.
Playing in the Central Hockey League with the Arizona Sundogs, the now 25 year-old, was limited to just eight regular season games after suffering his third concussion.
Most players are able to bounce back after suffering a knock to the head, but few manage to return to the ice with any normalcy after a series of concussions.
Barthel falls into that category.
A third round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in 2004, Barthel told me at the Rockets alumni golf tournament earlier this month that he is weighing his options.
A firefighting career or dabbling in coaching are two paths the soft spoken d-man is considering.
Barthel spent one season with the Rockets in 2006-2007 after being acquired in a trade with Seattle for 20 year-old goaltender Derek Yeomans.

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