WITH so much uncertainty in life as well as sport, ice hockey players who were in the UK last season are taking work where they can get it. For former Dundee Star Matt Marquardt, he thought he was set for the season until his new team pulled out of their league.

Marquardt was announced as joining ECHL side Norfolk Admirals, in Virginia, after the announcement the Elite League had been suspended for the season. But last week, the Admirals pulled the plug on their campaign citing ongoing health and safety concerns with coronavirus.

It has left the towering forward back at square one as he tries to find work and while he concedes hanging his skates up is a possibility, he is still waiting for the phone to ring.

“I’m on the back nine of my career now at 33 years old so hopefully it’s not the determining factor in having to retire,” Marquardt said. “I’m a free agent and looking at the best option for everyone involved. I can’t comment on what comes next because I simply don’t know.

“I always like to take my time in making a decision of where I’ll go and this was no different. I’d played with the general manager at Norfolk so it made sense to me, plus if it was shut down, it meant I could drive home from Virginia rather than scramble to get a flight, like what happened back in March.

“Norfolk pulling out came out of nowhere because the league has so many deadlines. In the States, each area is governed differently with regard to events and social occasions so the teams are up against it with the various different rules and protocols in place.

“With the business side of things, there’s the worry of not making ends meet and the likelihood of things not changing so the management keep everyone up to date with information. In the end, pulling out this year was what Norfolk had to do. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the way it is.”

While Marquardt had not committed to another year with Dundee, after spending the last two working as player-assistant coach to Omar Pacha, the return to North America was a sensible one for him and he is staying patient as he seeks the next opportunity that will keep him going for another season.

“I’ve been training and skating hard, preparing as best I can and it gets harder as you get older, so staying on top of things is important,” he added. “I still love the game and still want to dedicate myself to it on and off the ice. I’m not used to being home.

“I’m remaining patient about the situation although it sucks that I thought I had found somewhere to play this year, but things had changed. I’d prepared for it, so now it’s keeping tabs on other teams and what’s going on in the league, hoping I’m an asset they’d like to bring in.

“If there were an opportunity away from the rink that came up, then I’d be comfortable stepping away from the game, but I’m not there yet. As for coming back to the UK in the future, I’d never rule anything out. I had a great time in Dundee the last two years playing in front of the great fans they have.”