Hurricanes' LaRose on his year out of the NHL: 'I had just built up a lot of anger towards the game'

Former Carolina Hurricanes winger Chad LaRose, who is currently in Hurricanes camp on an AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers, took a year off from life as a professional hockey player during the 2013-14 campaign.

In part, LaRose's year off was likely imposed by low demand for his services. He struggled enormously, managing just two goals and four points in 35 games during the lockout abbreviated 2013 campaign. In part though, it was a personal choice.

"I couldn't give somebody me, I couldn't give them 100 percent of me," LaRose explained to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer this weekend. "I wasn't into the game anymore and I didn't think it was fair to give somebody 60 or 70 percent of me.

"I had just built up a lot of anger towards the game. I wanted to get away. I didn't know that I would ever play again, to be honest. … I fell out of love with the sport and didn't have any passion for it. But sometimes you have to lose what you have to realize what you had."

LaRose, who once scored more than 60 goals in a season at the OHL level, is a solid bet to be an NHL level contributor in a prescribed, bottom six role even in spite of his year away from the game. Since 2009, for example, LaRose has skated with 17 distinct teammates for at least 200 even strength minutes and 13 of those regular teammates did better by shot attempt differential with LaRose than they did without him on the ice.

Performance will be key as LaRose looks to restart his NHL journey, but desire might be more important. To hear him tell it, he rediscovered that passion during his sabbatical. Now he just has to impress the Hurricanes brass and win an NHL contract. 

[H/T Kukla's Korner]