DETROIT -- Pavel Datsyuk on Monday kept the door open for a return to the Red Wings next season.
"You never know what happen," Datsyuk said following the Red Wings' practice. "It's hard to make a decision on what happen tomorrow, today. Everything is possible. It's not final decision 100 percent."
On Sunday, a story ran in the Detroit Free Press with Datsyuk saying that he planned on retiring after this season.
Datsyuk said he did the interview because rumors were starting to surface about his possible retirement and he wanted to clarify the situation.
"There's lot of information [going] around. It more bothered me," Datsyuk said. "I want to be fair with everybody. Especially the fans and everybody."
Datsyuk took responsibility for the distraction this speculation has created and showed concern about the financial pinch his retirement from the NHL after this season might create for the team that drafted him.
If he retires after this season, the Red Wings are still on the hook for a $7.5 million salary cap charge next year as part of the final season of his current contract.
Datsyuk said he regretted not taking it year-by-year in his last deal.
Datsyuk's agent, Dan Milstein, told ESPN on Sunday morning that the plan was to meet with the Ilitch family, which owns the Red Wings, and general manager Ken Holland after this season to map out his future, which is now very much in question.
"This is best league, I want to play here," Datsyuk said. "[The Red Wings] always help me, support me. I want to stay [as] much as possible here."