Playing pro sports can and does take its toll on any and all players, well especially the non-superstar players that are like a trades journeyman working a 9-5 job.

Sitting rather than playing can get one wondering why they are sitting and of course they feel that they can contribute, despite the fact that they will say what they teams wants them to say.

In some sense they have to be somewhat of a politician sort of “towing the party line” so to speak regardless if they want to or not.

Now we are hearing that after missing the St. Louis game only to be replaced by a seventh defenceman, he either asked for his release or was granted it by the Canucks.

Alex Burmistrov (25) is no longer a Vancouver Canuck and the reason given was according to his agent Dan Milstein via a Tweet that his client was “retiring from the NHL.”

It was later reported by the Canucks GM Jim Benning in an email that he’d simply asked for his release saying “Alex made the decision to be released from his contract today in order to pursue a playing opportunity outside of the NHL and we’re supportive of his decision and wish the best for Alex.”

Milstein said that Burmistrov was “thankful for the time and the opportunity in Vancouver and simply put “It’s time for him to go back home.”

When asked if the recent lack of playing time was a motivating factor in his leaving, Milstein respectfully declined any further comment.

He did however mention that the move to leave the NHL had been in discussion for “three or four weeks.” and the timing was just coincidental with his scratch against St. Louis.

He said that at present he (Burmistrov) does not have a team lined up yet in Russia but a further announcement will be made in a few days.

He (Burmistrov) signed a one-year deal for $900,000 with the Canucks earlier this past summer after his release by the Arizona Coyotes.

Prior to the Coyotes he also played for Winnipeg as well as one season for the Atlanta Thrashers prior to the moved to Winnipeg.

He also played for two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15) for Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL before returning to Winnipeg for the 2015-16 season.

He was drafted 8th overall in 2010, scoring 37 goals in 348 NHL games and upon signing with Vancouver he was touted as a player with a strong upside that could show much versatility and could be used on both the power play and the penalty kill.

In his 24 games for Vancouver he scored only 2 goals but played less than five minutes against the Sharks and had been frustrated about his ice time and the role he was playing.

He apparently told Ben Kuzma from postmedia “The frustrating thing is you know you can play at this level and every day and every night you walk into the dressing room and you don’t know if you’re playing or not. You kind of want to know you’re playing or be sure to be confident in yourself and feel like you’re part of the team,” he said.

“Then you walk into the dressing room and you’re not playing and you’re thinking: ‘What is it going to be like tomorrow?’ I’m trying to work hard but this is hard.”

It also reported he was very critical on the IOC’s decision to ban Russia from Olympic competition “bullshit.”

It’s reported that Canuck teammate Thomas Vanek spoke up for his teammate saying the Russian centre is “definitely an NHL player.”

It’s never easy moving from one Country to play in another when his Family and Friends are back home, but that was a decision he alone made.

We wish him all the best as he moves forward in his career.