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Retirement

Paul Martin Announces Retirement

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Though he hadn’t played at all this season, Paul Martin has officially announced his retirement with help from Michael Russo of The Athletic. Martin was bought out this summer by the San Jose Sharks after they couldn’t find a trade partner to take his contract off their hands, and there was no deal to be found after that. San Jose will pay him just over $1.4MM this year and next, while he moves on to the next chapter in his life and career.

Martin, 37, was a rock solid two-way defenseman for nearly 1,000 games between the regular season and playoffs. Originally selected by the New Jersey Devils in 2000, he spend three seasons at the University of Minnesota where he won two National Championships and became a program legend. It didn’t take long for him to translate that college success into an NHL career, stepping right onto the Devils blue line and finishing his rookie season with 24 points in 70 games. Martin never looked back, playing exactly zero games in the minor leagues until his final season last year, when the Sharks didn’t have room for him in the NHL.

Though never flashy, Martin racked up points while being a reliable partner to several other offensively-minded defensemen over the years. He will finish his career with 320 points in 870 regular season games, while also having suited up for USA Hockey at the World Junior Championship, World Cup, World Championship and Olympic Games. He reached the Stanley Cup Finals with the Sharks in 2016, losing to the team he’d played for a year prior in Pittsburgh. He never did get the chance to raise the Cup over his head, but given how his teammates speak about him in Russo’s piece, that never changed how hard he worked or how admired he was on and off the ice.

As Russo writes, Martin intends on spending more time on his foundation Shine A Ligh7 now that he won’t be pursuing that Stanley Cup any longer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jordin Tootoo Announces Retirement

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Long-time NHL grinder Jordin Tootoo is set to be honored tonight by his junior team, the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, and again by the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow. Well, the 35-year-old got the weekend’s festivities off to a hot start this evening by officially announcing his retirement from pro hockey. The veteran of 723 NHL games missed all of last season due to injury and had not signed with any team this off-season. He now sets his sights on a new venture.

Tootoo, a long-time Nashville Predator, was selected in the fourth round of the 2001 NHL Draft. A two-way standout with the Wheat Kings and a member of Canada’s World Juniors team, Tootoo entered the league with high expectations. Although he never quite developed into a scoring threat at the NHL level, Tootoo made a living doing the dirty work: forechecking, winning battles along the boards, fighting for space in front of the net, and of course fighting. Tootoo’s hard work kept him in Nashville for eight years. In his final season with the team, his hard work earned him a career-high 13 minutes of ice time per night, which he turned into a career-best 30 points. That off-season, Tootoo signed with the Detroit Red Wings. He would suit up for two seasons apiece with Detroit and the New Jersey Devils before closing out his career in 2016-17 with the Chicago Blackhawks. In fact, Tootoo earned an extension from Chicago that would have played out last year, had it not been for an upper-body that kept him out all season. At the end of a 13-year NHL career, Tootoo totaled 65 goals, 96 assists, and over 1000 penalty minutes.

However, it is not Tootoo’s statistics that most will remember him for. It won’t even be his grit, his loyalty, or his work ethic. Instead, Tootoo will always be known for the impact he had on the indigenous populations of Canada. The first native Inuk to play in the NHL, Tootoo has devoted his career to advancing the game of hockey for indigenous peoples. It is an effort that has earned him respect and recognition across the league, even with a team he never played for – the Oilers – honoring his work. Tootoo will now turn his full attention to the mission that means so much to him. Tootoo has already done so much, but just as the hard-working veteran played on the ice, there is always more to do.

Vancouver Canucks To Retire Sedins’ Numbers

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Vancouver Canucks fans were given an exceptional memory at the end of last season when franchise icons Daniel and Henrik Sedin played in their final game at home. The two combined for two goals and two assists—split just as you’d imagine between the twins, with Daniel scoring both—including the game-winner in overtime, and on the powerplay no less. The two would skate several laps around the rink to say farewell to their city and fan base, before eventually officially announcing their retirement at the conclusion of the season.

Now, the Canucks plan on giving a memory back to two of the best players in franchise history, and retire their numbers to the rafters. Owner Francesco Aquilini was on Sportsnet radio this morning and explained that the team is planning on holding the ceremony during the 2019-20 season during their 50th anniversary celebration. That doesn’t mean just a single moment on the ice though, as Aquilini explained:

Daniel and Henrik are a big part of this community. They’ve given back so much, I mean they’re just iconic players. Iconic players and iconic people, they’re just amazing. So we’re going to really do something special for them, and it’s not just going to be one night, it could be like a week’s long festivities. 

The Sedin twins were the faces (or is it just face?) of the Canucks franchise for nearly two decades following the draft floor magic that then-GM Brian Burke worked to secure both of them. Selected second and third overall in 1999, they finished with nearly identical career point totals—though accomplished in different ways—and each won an Art Ross Trophy as the league’s highest scorer. Interestingly, only Henrik won a Hart Trophy as league MVP and only Daniel won a Lester B. Pearson Award (now Ted Lindsay Award) as Most Outstanding Player as voted by his peers. Inseparable both on the ice and in any hockey fan’s memory, they’ll see #22 and #33 go up to the rafters together next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Rick Nash Still Not Fully Healthy, Undecided On Playing Future

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Despite the rumors that exploded late last night and early this morning about Rick Nash submitting his retirement papers to the NHL, the veteran forward has not made a decision about his hockey playing future. Nash’s agent Joe Resnick reached out to Darren Dreger of TSN to report that nothing had changed, but Nash himself spoke to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) to explain the situation. Not going into details, Nash told Portzline that he is still experiencing side-effects from his last concussion and would wait until they subsided before making a decision.

Nash’s representatives told teams that he wouldn’t be signing with anyone in the July 1st frenzy, and now several months later has still not come to any final decision on his playing career. Concussions can having lasting effects on a player’s performance and off-ice life, and while Nash certainly still has the skill to play in the NHL there’s no telling what effect it would have on his health. Portzline believes that if Nash were to return to the league it would “almost certainly be with the [Columbus] Blue Jackets or one of five or six other teams he’s identified as Stanley Cup contenders.”

Scoring 21 goals last season split between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, Nash headed into the summer as one of the best free agent forwards on the market. In fact, he ranked sixth on our Top 50 Free Agents this offseason, and was easily the highest that remains unsigned. It’s hard to imagine a player that has been such a consistent goal scoring threat would be out of the league after his 13th 20-goal campaign, but it seems as though that is a very real possibility. Nash has 437 career regular season goals in his 1,060 games, and at one point was among the very best in the league at putting the puck in the net.

In fact, those 437 goals actually tie Nash with the great Pavel Bure for 67th all-time in NHL goal scoring. If he did sign, he’d be behind only Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Marleau among active players, and could pass several other Hall of Famers with an average season. The big, powerful winger won the Maurice Richard trophy once as the league’s top goal scorer and received Selke votes several times as one of the best defensive forwards.

Radim Vrbata Announces Retirement

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With the 2018-19 season on the horizon, another veteran forward without a contract has announced he’s hanging up his skates. Radim Vrbata has officially retired today, pushing out a statement through his agent Rich Evans.

Unlike fellow veteran Scott Hartnell, who also announced his retirement today, Vrbata was never expected to do much in the NHL. Where Hartnell was all the rage coming out of junior, and ended up selected sixth overall, Vrbata was undersized and seen as a perimeter player that may not translate fine offensive success to the next level. Vrbata fell all the way to 212th overall in the 1999 draft, where Colorado picked him in the seventh round. That draft status wouldn’t hold him down though, as he finishes his career with the fourth-most games played and points from that draft class—just behind another seventh-round pick named Henrik Zetterberg.

It didn’t take long for the Avalanche to realize they’d found something unexpected at the end of the draft, as Vrbata would put up 120 points in just 55 games during his final season in the QMJHL in 2000-01 before making the jump to the NHL on a full-time basis during the 2001-02 campaign. He scored 18 goals and 30 points in 52 contests for Colorado that year, and would continue to be an offensive threat throughout the rest of his career. With a high of 63 points for the Vancouver Canucks in 2014-15, Vrbata finishes his career with 623 in 1,057 games and 12th all-time among Czech-born players.

Scott Hartnell Announces Retirement

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Though it had become apparent that he would not find an NHL contract this offseason, veteran forward Scott Hartnell confirmed it today when announcing his retirement on Twitter. Hartnell released a long statement thanking every organization he has played for in his 17-year career, and admitting that he’s now looking forward to spending more time with his wife and son.

Hartnell, 36, got a chance last season to return to the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2000 and suited up for 62 regular season games for the Nashville Predators. Finding a way to contribute 13 goals—cracking double digits for the 15th time in his career—he was nevertheless held out of all but four postseason contests and not retained at the end of the year. Those 62 games raised his career total to 1,249 which actually puts him 89th on the all-time list and just ahead of other legendary forwards like Sergei Fedorov, Daniel Alfredsson and Patrik Elias. Hartnell was never quite the offensive player that those three were, but still will finish his career with 707 points and an incredible resume of consistency.

Drafted because of his mix of physicality, leadership and offense for the Prince Albert Raiders, Hartnell assumed a limited role for the Predators right away and played in 75 games as an 18-year old in 2000-01. Though he registered just two goals and 16 points, it would be the only time he would be kept under 12 goals or 24 points in a full season for his entire career. In fact, other than his rookie season, his final season and the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Hartnell would recorded at least 33 points each year while reaching a career-high of 67 in 2011-12 with the Philadelphia Flyers. Those consistent point totals were accompanied by consistent penalty minutes, as the in-your-face forward will finish with 1,809.

With stops in Nashville, Philadelphia and Columbus, Hartnell quickly became a fan favorite and an easy to hate enemy for rival teams all around the league. Getting under the opponent’s skin and riling up a fan base came natural to him, but there is little doubt that he was well respected around the league for his all-out play style.

Brian Gionta Announces Retirement

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This time last year, many had written off veteran forward Brian Gionta as having played in his last game. Instead, the 39-year-old captained the U.S. Olympic team at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea and then returned home to a contract with the Boston Bruins for the stretch run and two rounds of postseason play. With that adventure added to a 16-year NHL career, Gionta now feels he can hang up his skates. The respected veteran announced at a press conference with the Buffalo Sabres today that he has retired from playing professional hockey. Gionta will remain with Sabres in a small off-ice role moving forward.

One of the most famed locker room leaders of his generation, Gionta served as the captain of both the Sabres and Montreal Canadiens during his career. He began as top prospect of the New Jersey Devils, a 1998 third-round pick out of Boston College. At BC, Gionta was a two-time Hobey Baker Award finalist and helped the Eagles to three Hockey East championships. In his second pro season, Gionta helped the Devils to a Stanley Cup championship in 2003, during which run he played in all 24 playoff games and chipped in nine points. Gionta truly broke out in the first post-lockout season, finishing in the top ten in goal scoring with 48 goals and 89 points in 2005-06. After seven years in New Jersey, Gionta played five seasons with Montreal and then returned home to upstate New York for three seasons with Buffalo.

Altogether, Gionta recorded 595 points in 1026 NHL games. An extremely durable player, Gionta played in 75+ games in nine different seasons, often averaging upwards of nineteen minutes of ice time per night. At just 5’7″, Gionta was a pioneer of the movement toward smaller players in the NHL, as his play proved that small stature doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of toughness and grit. Gionta was also a model player, especially considering his two-way nature, as he stayed out of the penalty box for much of his career. Gionta will always be remembered for his unique style, versatility, hockey IQ, and of course, leadership. Should he really embrace the management side of the game with Buffalo, he will likely continue to find success in the game of hockey.

Ondrej Pavelec Announces His Retirement

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For any teams considering Ondrej Pavelec as a potential backup goaltending option for this season, they’ll have to look elsewhere. The 31-year old goaltender announced his retirement today on Instagram, ending his NHL career after 398 regular season games.

Originally selected in the second round of the 2005 draft, Pavelec quickly made an impression on the Atlanta Thrashers and made his NHL debut soon after his 20th birthday. He would eventually take over as the starter in Atlanta, and be a big part of the first season in Winnipeg after the city’s team returned in 2011.  Though he’d continue to start for the Jets, Pavelec was never really able to establish himself as an upper echelon goaltender in the NHL. During his best season in 2014-15, he took the Jets to the playoffs but was swept in four games while allowing fifteen goals.

This past season Pavelec finally departed the only franchise he ever knew and played as the backup for Henrik Lundqvist in New York. In 19 games he recorded a .910 save percentage, but wasn’t retained and became an unrestricted free agent. Though it seems early for Pavelec hang up his pads, former Thrashers beat writer Ben Wright shared on Twitter that the goaltender “always said he’d stop when it wasn’t fun anymore.”

Chris Lee Retires From Professional Hockey

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For fans tuning into the 2017 World Championships, a player stuck out like a sore thumb on the blue line for Team Canada. Wearing number 42 among the other NHL stars was a face that few recognized, but would learn to appreciate by the end of the tournament. Chris Lee stepped into a roster spot and ice time vacated by an injured Tyson Barrie and recorded two points in seven games en route to a silver medal. Lee had never played in the World Championships—or any major international tournament—for Canada before, and had no prior NHL experience.

Lee at the age of 36, had parlayed a 65-point season in the KHL into an invitation to the tournament where he played exceptionally well. Success in the KHL wasn’t a new experience for Lee, who had been one of the best offensive defensemen in the league since coming over from the German DEL and Swedish SHL—two other leagues he dominated in his short time there. There was also successful stints in the AHL prior to that, but they never even earned him an NHL contract let alone a sniff of the highest level of professional hockey.

The undrafted defensemen signed a professional tryout with the Los Angeles Kings for their 2017 training camp, but didn’t make the team. He returned to the KHL and Metallurg Magnitogorsk while also suiting up for Canada at the Olympics. He wore an “A” as an alternate captain of that squad, which wasn’t allowed to include NHL players this time around. An Olympic bronze medal came about this time around, but the Gagarin Cup was out of reach in 2018 for his KHL squad.

Last night in a lengthy ceremony, Lee’s retirement and career was honored by Magnitogorsk as his number was raised to the rafters. The team released a “thank you” article, and Lee even received a star outside the arena. A two-time Gagarin Cup champion, Lee goes down as one of the extreme oddities in the history of Canadian international hockey competition, at least in the modern era. Never given a chance at the NHL level and overlooked for much of his career, he still found incredible success on the ice as a player.

Keith Aucoin Retires From Professional Hockey

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If you’re a fan of only the NHL, you may only barely recognize Keith Aucoin’s name. The 39-year old forward played just 145 games in the league, and recorded just 49 points. But if you’ve watched AHL hockey throughout the last 15 or so years, you’ll understand that an incredible playing career ended recently when Aucoin announced his retirement. One of the best minor league players in recent history, Aucoin also dominated in Europe for the last four seasons.

Aucoin ranks seventh on the all-time AHL scoring list with 857 points in just 769 games, and fifth on the all-time assist leaderboard. His minor league career started in 2001-02 after an incredible career at Norwich University, and ended in 2013-14 when he finished the season with 43 points for the Chicago Wolves. During that time he also suited up for the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues, but was never given a full season to show what he could do at the NHL level.

The forward went undrafted in a time when small, undersized players were often overlooked, but still quickly proved his offensive prowess. Aucoin won two Calder Cups during his minor league career and was named AHL MVP in 2010 after scoring 106 points in 72 games for the champion Hershey Bears. According to Barry Scanlon of the Lowell Sun, Aucoin has taken a coaching position with the Boston Junior Rangers after a long an prosperous hockey career.

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