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Retirement

Danis Zaripov Announces Retirement

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After a long and illustrious KHL career, Danis Zaripov has announced his retirement. Zaripov famously flirted with the idea of coming to the NHL in 2017 when the IIHF suspended him for two years after testing positive for pseudoephedrine, an ingredient commonly found in allergy medicine. Zaripov ultimately had his suspension reduced to just six months and returned to the KHL.

Zaripov is a KHL legend, having won five Gagarin Cup championships and finishing third all-time in KHL scoring. He is also a decorated international player having won five World Championship medals.

While Zaripov is not a name that is well known in North America, he hangs up his skates as one of the most admired players in Russian hockey history after completing a professional career that spans over two decades.

Joel Lundqvist Announces Retirement

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Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t the only hockey player in the family. While the netminder was making saves in New York, his twin brother Joel Lundqvist became a legend in Sweden. Already the greatest player in Frolunda history, the 40-year-old forward has decided to hang up his skates for good, announcing his retirement. He’ll finish out this season as captain of the famous club, and then ride off into the Swedish sunset.

Lundqvist was a third-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2000, and did try his hand in North America for a short time. Between 2006-2009 he played in 159 NHL games (including playoffs) and scored 35 points. It was his footspeed that held him back in the North American circuit, but Lundqvist’s skill and hockey IQ would make him a star back home. With four SHL titles, four Champions League titles, three World Championship gold medals, and over a decade as captain of Frolunda, he retires as one of the most decorated players in Swedish history.

Even now, at his age, he is still finding success. Lundqvist has 23 points in 41 games to lead the club and has another seven in 11 Champions League games. All-time, he leads Frolunda in games, points, goals, assists – and penalty minutes.

While he’s not a household name in North America, there’s no doubt that Lundqvist inspired countless Swedish hockey players over his two decades at the highest level.

Devante Smith-Pelly Announces Retirement

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NHL veteran and Stanley Cup Champion forward Devante Smith-Pelly announced his retirement from hockey today. The 30-year-old announced his choice via Instagram.

Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round in 2010, Smith-Pelly broke into the NHL just two seasons after being drafted. He recorded 13 points in 49 games during his rookie season in 2011-12 with the Ducks.

He spent most of the following two seasons with their AHL affiliate at the time, the Norfolk Admirals, but was called up near the end of 2013-14 for the first of his two clutch playoff performances. Smith-Pelly recorded 10 points in 19 games down the stretch in Anaheim and notched five goals in 12 playoff games as the Ducks fell in the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. He scored a last-minute goal in Game 6 of their first-round series against Dallas, tying the game and sending it to overtime, where Anaheim eventually won the series.

Smith-Pelly was a full-time NHLer the next few seasons but bounced around between the Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, and New Jersey Devils before finding a home with the Washington Capitals for 2017-18. It was there where Smith-Pelly achieved his dream of winning the Stanley Cup, equaling his regular-season goal total by scoring seven goals in 24 playoff games for Washington.

His last NHL games came in 2018-19, when he appeared in 54 games for Washington, scoring eight points. He spent the following three seasons playing in the KHL and AHL. In 2021-22, his last season of professional hockey, Smith-Pelly had eight points in 24 games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket.

PHR wishes the best of luck to Smith-Pelly in his retirement and issues congratulations on a clutch, championship-winning career.

Andrew Hammond Announces Retirement

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The Hamburglar has hung up his cape. Andrew Hammond announced his retirement from professional hockey on Twitter today, explaining that he suffered an ankle injury during his time in Montreal and isn’t able to fully recover. Hammond played four games for the Canadiens last season before ending up on injured reserve and getting traded to the New Jersey Devils.

The ankle injury may explain the stark difference in performance between the two stops. He had a .920 save percentage for Montreal, and an .860 for the Devils following the trade. After two games in the KHL this year, he terminated his contract and returned to North America.

He’ll go out with a career .916 save percentage in the NHL, mostly fueled by the unforgettable 20-1-2 run with the Ottawa Senators in 2014-15. A young, undrafted netminder stepped into the spotlight when Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner were unavailable, carrying the Senators to a playoff spot with an incredible stretch run.

Entering a game on February 16 in relief of Lehner, he allowed two goals on his first five shots. It looked as though the team’s postseason hopes were dashed, but starting two nights later, he would go on a run of 15 straight games without losing in regulation.

The .943 save percentage he posted over the final 23 appearances would not only get the Senators to a playoff spot, finishing three points ahead of the Boston Bruins for fourth place in the Atlantic, but it would earn Hammond Vezina and Hart Trophy votes. He would play just 42 more games in his NHL career.

Snapshots: Voracek, Capitals Goalies, Vegas Injuries

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Just this Friday, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced injury updates on a number of players, including forward Jakub Voracek, who has been battling lingering effects of a concussion suffered early this season. With that announcement, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen clarified that Voracek did not necessarily have a timetable and that the team was going to give him time to see if his symptoms subsided before a return to the ice was considered. Today, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline published a more in-depth look at Voracek’s situation, speaking personally with Kekalainen on the expectations around the veteran winger, and things may look worse than they had seemed at first.

The executive acknowledged to Portzline that Voracek may very well be looking at an earlier retirement than expected. Kekalainen added “I’m more worried about him having a normal life.” Lingering concussion issues are always a serious concern for any player and team in whatever sport it may be, however the original news that the team was giving him time away appeared to be more of a long-term injury concern. With today’s report though, it seems a return to the ice might not even be a guarantee. Voracek, 33, is a veteran of 15 NHL seasons including this one, five as a Blue Jacket and 11 as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

  • The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, announced this afternoon that they’ve signed goaltender Justin Kapelmaster to a PTO ahead of their game today. Normally, we’d put this news in a Minor Transactions piece, however NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti makes an interesting observation with impact on the Capitals. As Gulitti writes, the PTO could mean that one of Hershey’s goaltenders is headed to Edmonton to meet the Capitals after starting netminder Darcy Kuemper left last night’s game with an upper-body injury. Washington currently has Zachary Fucale and Hunter Shepard under contract and playing for the Bears, along with Charlie Lindgren already on the NHL roster.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced, via head coach Bruce Cassidy, that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will miss tomorrow night’s game in Boston against the Bruins, while forward Jack Eichel will be a game-time decision. Pietrangelo has missed the last three games for Vegas for undisclosed personal reasons, last playing November 26th. While the reason for the absence isn’t any clearer than that, Vegas does return home after Monday’s game, which may be a preferred time for the defenseman to rejoin the team, as opposed to meeting them on the opposite coast for the one game. As to Eichel, the nature of his absence is still unclear.

Carey Price Not Retiring, Focused On Recovery

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Carey Price hasn’t considered retirement, at least not yet. While meeting the media this morning, he explained that he is focused on getting pain-free and will take things day-by-day from there. Price explained that he is still having trouble climbing stairs or with other activities, but hasn’t closed the book on his NHL career.

Price, 35, is still signed through the 2025-26 season, earning at least $7.5MM in each season. That will stay on the books for the Canadiens, though it will be moved to long-term injured reserve every year he isn’t able to play, essentially allowing the team to spend that money elsewhere if needed.

Selected fifth overall in 2005, Price was always touted as the next great Canadiens goaltender. Though he didn’t step directly into the NHL, going back to the WHL for two full seasons, he quickly showed why he was drafted so high upon his arrival. As a rookie in 2007-08, Price posted a .920 save percentage, going 24-12-3 and finishing ninth in Vezina Trophy voting. By the time he was 23, he was leading the league in wins and finishing as a top-10 Hart Trophy finalist.

In 2014-15, both those trophies ended up in his possession, after one of the best seasons the NHL has ever seen from a goaltender. Price led the league with 44 wins, a .933 save percentage, and a 1.96 goals-against average. He added the Jennings and Lindsay to the trophy case as well, but that peak wouldn’t last long. The netminder would end up playing just 12 games the next season, and injuries would start to shape the narrative of his career.

His regular season performance since the start of 2017-18 has continued to decline, registering a save percentage of just .908 over that stretch. Even still, he showed a flash of peak Price in the playoffs, taking the Canadiens all the way to the Stanley Cup final in 2021.

Now, with retirement not on the table, Price says he is hoping to recover from a knee injury without undergoing another surgery – one that he suggests could risk his quality of life down the line. When asked if he’s been told when the knee issues started, Price laughed and said “about eight years old.” He listed off several other injuries he’s experienced – referencing his back, hip, and ankle – explaining that as he got older, it was harder to bounce back from these things.

Whether Price is focused on it or not, the end of his playing career seems closer than ever. He suggested that the surgery on the table – OATS, a procedure that takes cartilage from one area of the knee and grafts it into a damaged area – has a chance of causing further issues, both for his performance and quality of life. Without it, he is not able to train at a high level, meaning he’s just waiting to see if his knee responds to time and rehab instead.

If it is the end, Price would go down with 712 regular season appearances in his career, 28th all-time. His 361 wins put him even higher on the NHL leaderboard, sitting 21st, just ahead of Jonathan Quick.

When asked if he is at peace with the idea that he may have played his last game, Price used the word “miracle” to describe the possibility of a return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Canadian Notes: Price, Dermott, Wideman

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Rumors have swirled over the future of Carey Price’s career ever since the severity of his knee injury became apparent. Those rumors intensified today when Sportnet’s Eric Engels said Price was scheduled to speak with the media on October 24. However, Engels notes that this is not a retirement announcement as many people first thought when his media availability was reported.

Price and his $10.5MM cap hit remain on long-term injured reserve, and he’s not expected to play at all this season as he continues his recovery from his knee injury. Price played just five games last season after missing nearly the entire year, and he certainly won’t top that number in 2022-23. The future Hall of Fame goaltender still wants to resume his playing career if he can, and he does have four years remaining on his deal to make an improbable recovery.

Ladislav Smid Joins Edmonton Oil Kings

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After playing the last several years back home in Czechia, Ladislav Smid recently announced his retirement. He’s now coming back to North America, joining the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL as a development coach.

Smid, 36, is very familiar with the area, having played parts of eight seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, and three more a few hours south with the Calgary Flames. The big, defensive defenseman spent his entire career in Alberta, making his NHL debut with the Oilers after a trade from the Anaheim Ducks (one that saw Chris Pronger go the other way), and playing his last game with the Flames in 2016.

He had just 72 points during his 583-game career and had the misfortune of never playing in a single postseason game. He’ll now try to help the next generation of players reach their dream, and perhaps even get a taste of some elusive playoff hockey.

The Oil Kings are off to a brutal 1-7-1 start after losing basically all of the top players that made them so dangerous last year.

Edmonton Oilers Hire Duncan Keith

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After announcing his retirement just a few months ago, Duncan Keith is back in the Edmonton Oilers organization. The team has announced several hires, including Keith into a player development role. Milan Tichy will now serve as director of amateur European scouting, Warren Rychel and Jason Pietrzykowski have been added as pro scouts, Jeff Salajko is coming in as a goaltending scout, and Christian Vermette will join as an amateur scout.

This hire was always expected after the legendary defenseman called it quits after just one season with the Oilers. The 17-year veteran helped the club overcome some playoff demons and reach the Conference Finals but couldn’t do enough to help them overcome the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

Keith had 21 points in 64 games during his final season, taking his career totals to 1,256 games and 646 points. Those numbers go along with three Stanley Cup championships, two Norris Trophy honors as the league’s best defenseman, and the 2015 Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.

One of the best defensemen of his generation, Keith will now move into a front office role where he can begin the next chapter of his hockey career.

Andy Greene Signs One-Day Contract With New Jersey Devils, Retires

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The New Jersey Devils have brought back a long-time captain for one more day. Andy Greene has signed a one-day contract with the team to retire as a member of the Devils, after a 16-year NHL career.

Tom Fitzgerald, general manager of the Devils, explained exactly what the veteran defenseman meant to the organization:

Andy was a bedrock for New Jersey during his 14 years and developed into an exceptional leader and what it meant to be a Devil. He was a consummate professional when times were hard and a representation to his teammates in the locker room. It’s only right that he announces his retirement from the National Hockey League as a member of the Devils and we thank him for all that he’s done on and off the ice for the organization.

Greene, 39, was an undrafted free agent signing out of Miami University (Ohio), and managed to play 1,057 games in an impressive career. More than 900 of those came with the Devils, where he developed into a defensive force, and leader in the locker room. From 2015 to 2020, he served as captain of the team, and even his last moments were positive for the organization.

He netted the team a second-round pick from the New York Islanders, where he would reunite with Lou Lamoriello, a pick that would then be used to land the team Ryan Graves.

So it is curtains for the veteran, and an impressive career to look back on. In his 1,000-plus games, he registered 52 goals and 264 points. He had three long playoff runs, reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2012 with the Devils and the Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons with New York.

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