Helene St. James

Detroit Free Press

Of his love of hockey, there can be no doubt. But whether he'll continue that love affair in Detroit or in Russia is less clear.

Detroit Red Wings star forward Pavel Datsyuk did not definitively shoot down weekend rumors saying he will leave the Red Wings this off-season and return to his native Russia when he spoke after practice at Joe Louis Arena.

"I have one more year contract and we have three games left this year," Datsyuk said today. "This is more focus for me now.

"I'm not looking at next year."

The possibility of Datsyuk's premature departure was brought up Saturday night by Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman, who cited unnamed sources in saying Datsyuk might leave this off-season because of family issues. That has the potential to be devastating for the Wings, because Datsyuk signed his last contract after he turned 35. Even if he retires, his $7.5 million hit would count against the Wings' salary cap.

Datsyuk, whose daughter from his first marriage lives in Russia, said he did not want to discuss any family situations. Asked if there is any reason to think he wouldn't play in Detroit in 2016-17, Datsyuk said, "Who knows. Maybe injured or something."

Datsyuk, 37, has said in the past he'd like to finish his career in Russia. He spent the fall of 2012 playing in the KHL, taking advantage of the NHL's labor dispute, and came back raving about the experience.

"From the beginning of my career ... Russian fans, they help me, and I want to give back to them," he said.

This situation is similar to the last time Datsyuk had a year left on his contract. Rumors swirled he'd return to Russia - and then he ended up signing a three-year extension.

Datsyuk reiterated several times his focus is on helping the Red Wings secure a playoff spot. Their next game is Wednesday, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers. Monday was an optional practice with only about a dozen players going to the ice. Datsyuk was the rare veteran.

"Not happy with a little bit myself," he said. "I have to play better and more help my team."

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.

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