from Katie Carrera of Capitals Insider,
Jeff Halpern spent this summer just like he has any other, readying himself for a new NHL season with early-morning workouts and a tough skating regimen. But with training camps set to open around the league in less than a week, the veteran center still doesn’t know if he will have a place to play.
The Potomac, Md., native and former Capital became an unrestricted free agent this summer after playing 36 games for the Rangers and Canadiens last year in what was his 13th NHL season. Halpern, 37, isn’t ready for his playing career to end, and even as the days tick off the calendar he remains optimistic that over the next few days he will either sign with a team or be invited to training camp on a professional tryout contract.
“It’s like a game of musical chairs. You’re playing the game and at some point the music stops and there’s nowhere to sit down,” Halpern said Friday. “I enjoy the preparing, skating during the summers — the getting ready is easy. I still know I can play the game, it’s just whether you get an opportunity to prove that point. I wouldn’t say it throws you into thoughts of retirement, but it definitely makes me reflect on a lot of points of my career.”
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