Herald Article
Effects of concussion force Creurer to retire
Tips Forward says doctors advised him to hang up his skates
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - Jeremy Creurer has decided to hang up his skates.
Michael O'Leary / The Herald
Silvertips forward Jeremy Creurer (right) says a concussion he suffered in a game against Kamloops on Jan. 8 forced him to retire from the game.
The Everett Silvertips forward is giving up his competitive hockey career because of lingering effects from a concussion suffered last season.
"Basically I've just been monitoring it month-by-month and it hasn't been changing much," Creurer said Wednesday from Victoria, British Columbia, where he was visiting former teammate Taylor Ellington. "I've been in contact with the doctor for the Regina Pats - because he's closer to my home - and he said there's no real timeline for these things. Right now I'm not feeling too well and in the future each bump could make it worse. So I was advised to step away from the game."
Creurer suffered a concussion on Jan. 8 at home against Kamloops after taking an elbow to the head. He played against Kootenay three days later, but was unable to take the ice the remainder of the season.
It was originally thought Creurer would recover in time to return to the ice, but the post-concussion symptoms remained and he still feels them today.
"At the start I had pretty bad headaches," Creurer said. "Those have phased out, but there's still a feeling of built-up pressure in my head, and that's always sitting in the back of my mind. I'm kind of getting used to it, but hopefully it'll go away sooner rather than later."
Creurer, an 18-year-old from St. Brieux, Saskatchewan, played 20 games for Everett last season as a Western Hockey League rookie, scoring one goal and compiling 27 penalty minutes. He was also named Everett's Scholastic Player of the Year for 2004-05.
Creurer originally announced his decision online in a letter to the Silvertip fans, thanking them for their support.
"It was a great opportunity for myself to come to Everett and play at a high level of hockey," Creurer explained. "I felt that I was treated so well that everyone deserved a thank you letter. Everyone from the organization to the fans have been so great that I just wanted to say thank you."
With hockey now behind him, Creurer has enrolled at the University of Regina, where he plans on studying education and become a teacher. He also said he might get into hockey coaching somewhere down the line.
_____________________
Tipped Off