Neely Cans Comeback

Cam Neely has given up on his comeback try for the Boston Bruins, according to CBS affiliate WBZ News Radio in Boston.

Neely, who said Monday that his hip was not progressing as well as he had hoped, gave up practicing after about 30 minutes today at the Fleet Center. The announcement came just after 4 p.m. that he would not continue.

Neely, 33, made the announcement at the Bruins' training facility. He skated four times with the team from Thursday through Monday before telling the Bruins of his decision.

"It was good that I could come back and skate the next day with no pain, but it just wasn't feeling right," said the oft-injured Neely, who retired in the 1995-96 season. "And it wasn't worth the risk or the pain to come back and not play the way I could."

Neely always wondered if he could come back and his return followed intensive work with a physical therapist who is helping to lengthen the muscles and tendons around his hip and break down some of the scar tissue surrounding the hip socket.

In the 10 seasons he played for the Bruins, it was hard to miss Neely, who was as much of a presence in front of the net as he was in the community.

Neely helped to create the Cam Neely Foundation at the New England Medical Center, a home for families of patients with cancer. The disease killed Neely's parents.

While playing with an injured knee, Neely scored 50 goals in his first 44 games of 1993-94. Only Wayne Gretzky has scored 50 goals in fewer games.

Since retiring, Neely has written a book, "Hockey For Everybody" and has worked for a financial printing firm.

Neely also became a father. His wife, Paulina, gave birth to their first child, Jack Cameron, this month.

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