Forward Chris Wagner and the rest of the Boston Bruins are in full support of Tuukka Rask's decision to opt out of the NHL playoffs.
"My initial reaction to people that bash Tuukka is that they don't know what we're going through and we don't know what those people are going through," Wagner said, according to NBC Sports Boston's Joe Haggerty.
He continued, "They don't know what we're missing. I don’t have kids, so I can't speak for Tuukka like that. But I'm sure that is a whole other level of missing somebody and wanting to be there for your kid if they're missing you and struggling. I think Tuukka tried to power through that, but there are some things that he felt like he needed to sort out."
Rask opted out Saturday and left the bubble in Toronto midway through his team's first-round series versus the Carolina Hurricanes. The 33-year-old explained that while he wanted to remain with his teammates, being with his family was more important.
He was named a Vezina Trophy finalist for his performance during the 2019-20 regular season but struggled to perform at his usual elite level during the round robin and beginning of Round 1. Rask went 1-3-0 in four games, with a .904 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average.
Wagner understands that Rask's decision wasn't one he took lightly and that family should always be the No. 1 priority.
"I definitely think it was probably a difficult decision for him," Wagner added. "I think he wants to be here. He wants to win just like all of us, but at the same time - as guys have been reiterating - family is the most important thing. Even if it is a job and it is playing hockey, family comes before everything, and Tuukka felt like he needed to be home. We all support that decision."
The Bruins lead the Hurricanes 2-1 in their series, with Game 4 scheduled for 8 p.m. on Monday.
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