The hardest decision for any hockey player to make is knowing when it's time to quit.
Guelph Storm defenceman Austin Hall, 19, had to make that call about a month ago, realizing after a meeting with doctors and family that his playing days were over due to repeated concussions.
He made it official with his teammates on Monday.
"It was the right decision, the smart decision, to make," said Hall , a
"Because of how many concussions I've had I would be very vulnerable to getting another concussion, so it was only going to get worse and worse. It was the time to walk away," Hall said.
Hall suffered a pair of concussions this year which limited him to playing in just 20 of the Storm's 68 games.
He had one last year and another playing minor midget hockey.
There might have been other undiagnosed ones along the way, he said.
In a way he knew the decision might be on the horizon.
"After having the first one of the year in November and didn't return until February, I kind of mentally prepared myself. That if it does happen again, it could be it."
He got another concussion shortly after returning.
"Before the last one even happened I had mentally prepared myself to make the decision, but it was still a difficult one."
Knowing it was the right decision didn't make it an easy one.
"It was hard, but after having a little bit of time to think about things and let it sink in, I know it was worth it," he said.
"Hockey has been a part of my life for almost 20 years. It's always been a part of me and it will always be a part of me, just in a different way now."
Hall, a part-time student at the
After focusing on school next year he said he would love to get involved with hockey again on the coaching side.
"I'm looking forward to getting on with the next chapter of my life, but I'll still be cheering on the guys," he said.
Originally selected by the Storm in the seventh round of the 2013 OHL draft, he spent a year playing junior B hockey. He joined the Storm and played 118 games over his career, tallying 40 points.
Undrafted in the NHL, he would have been a likely overage player on the team next season.
He served as an assistant captain this past season.
Storm general manager Mike Kelly said Hall was a player whose "motor is always running."
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