Goalie Fuhr to End Retirement but Is Irked by Ad Ban on Pads

Grant Fuhr, one of the top goalies in the National Hockey League, has decided to come out of retirement and rejoin the Edmonton Oilers.

Fuhr, 28, and Oilers’ General Manager Glen Sather made the joint announcement in a news release late Thursday.

“We just hadn’t had a chance to talk before,” said Sather, blaming Fuhr’s retirement on a lack of communication.

Fuhr retired in early June and said dressing-room incidents that left him feeling a “lack of respect” were the reason.

Sather said the two did not discuss the unnamed dressing room incidents or Fuhr’s salary. He said they talked about what has been rumored to have caused Fuhr to quit--Fuhr’s desire to advertise Pepsi on his goalie pads.

Fuhr, who had an off season last year by his standards, had reached an endorsement agreement with Pepsi to wear the soft drink logo on his pads. That plan was killed when the NHL announced a new policy that will require all manufacturers to pay the league a set sum before any identifying logos can be worn by NHL players.

Once it was clarified that the Oilers weren’t preventing the deal from proceeding, Sather said, Fuhr was more receptive to resuming his hockey career.