Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Retirement

Matt Moulson Joins Maple Leafs Front Office, Signaling Retirement

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Longtime NHL and AHL forward Matt Moulson has joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a pro scout, per the team’s website. The move to scouting signals that Moulson has retired from hockey after a 16-year professional career that included 605 NHL games.

Moulson hasn’t played in the NHL since 2017-18 with the Buffalo Sabres, but he’s been floating around the AHL with the Ontario Reign and Hershey Bears since then, maintaining a solid professional career, although falling short of a Calder Cup. A three-time 30-goal scorer, Moulson did his best work with the New York Islanders alongside current Maple Leafs captain John Tavares.

The point production burnt out quickly after turning 30, though, notching no more than 14 goals or 41 points in a season during his four NHL seasons spent in Buffalo after departing the Islanders during the 2013-14 season. Waived and loaned to Ontario in 2017-18, Moulson made a home for himself tutoring youngsters in the minors, aiding both Los Angeles’ and Washington’s development systems along the way.

Moulson finished a strong AHL career with 424 games played, 159 goals, and 350 points, including a trio of seasons spent with the Manchester Monarchs early in his career, back when he was the property of the Kings in the mid-2000s. Now 38, Moulson will make a swift transition to scouting with the Leafs.

Pavel Datsyuk Plans To Retire From Hockey

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Six years after leaving NHL ice, legendary Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk has announced his plans to retire from professional hockey at age 43. Datsyuk informed the media of his decision while attending the retirement game of another former NHLer, Alexander Semin.

Datsyuk, while not a member of the original “Russian Five” that helped to spearhead the success of elite Russian talent in the NHL, still remains one of the best not only from his country but all time. He’s a member of the rare Triple Gold Club, winning Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008, a World Championship gold medal in 2012, and an Olympic gold medal in 2018. Add in a variety of silver and bronze medals internationally, a 2005 Russian Super League championships and 2017 Gagarin Cup championship in the KHL, four Lady Byng trophies, and three Selke trophies, and you have one of the most dominant and well-respected two-way centers in hockey history.

One of the most memorable puck handlers in recent memory, Datsyuk wrapped up his 14-year NHL career (all spent with Detroit) in 2016 with 314 goals, 604 assists, and 918 points in 953 games. The team’s 171st overall selection in 1998 will retire seventh on the all-time points list in Detroit, trailing Russian counterpart Sergei Fedorov by a handful.

After returning to the KHL, Datsyuk played five more years of professional hockey before not suiting up for the 2021-22 season. After spending three productive years as the captain of SKA St. Petersburg, Datsyuk returned to his hometown to play the final two seasons of his career with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Including the first half of 2012-13 spent with CSKA Moscow due to the NHL lockout, he also finishes with 60 goals, 144 assists, and 204 points in 260 KHL games.

Carter Hutton Retires From NHL

at CDT | by 4 Comments

A journeyman netminder has hung up his skates today. Veteran Carter Hutton announced his retirement from the NHL today, talking with Tom Annelin of the Chronicle Journal.

Speaking with Annelin today, Hutton had the following to say on his decision:

Honestly, I’ve been preparing myself for hockey to be over in some aspect for a while… The NHL has evolved into a young man’s league. The average age is now in the early 20s, so I know that this job wouldn’t be a lifelong one for me. Ultimately, I suffered an ankle injury in early 2021, which made the decision a lot easier for me. It restricted a lot of the mobility I needed to be as effective as I once was. This, compiled with a few other things helped me decide on retirement.

The news isn’t surprising in any aspect. Hutton appeared in just three games at the beginning of the season with the Arizona Coyotes, earning a 0-2-0 record and .741 save percentage. He spent the majority of the rest of the season injured before he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the trade deadline for injury insurance there, but the team loaned him back to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. He did spend a few days at Leafs practice, however.

An undrafted free agent, Hutton had a long and arduous path to NHL success. Hutton spent four years developing at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell before signing an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks for 2010-11. Hutton was the backup for the AHL affiliate in Worcester that season, posting a .902 save percentage. A restricted free agent, he was left unqualified and settled for an AHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs in 2011-12.

Strong play there got him an NHL contract later in the season and again with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012-13, when he made his NHL debut at age 27. As an unrestricted free agent in 2013, the Nashville Predators snapped up Hutton in free agency, where he broke into the NHL and never looked back. After stops with the Predators, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, and Coyotes, Hutton retires with a career 94-90-27 record in 235 games played (207 starts), .908 save percentage, and 2.76 goals-against average, and 13 shutouts. For an undrafted free agent who wasn’t a full-time NHLer until 28, it’s an improbable and impressive resumé.

Jason Spezza Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 14 Comments

Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza has announced his retirement today, ending an NHL career that lasted over 1,200 games. As part of the announcement, it was revealed that Spezza will be joining Toronto’s front office as special assistant to GM Kyle Dubas. Spezza gave a statement regarding his decision, saying:

Hockey has been my life’s work and to be able to come home to Toronto and bookend my playing career where it started was incredible. To the fans – in Ottawa, Dallas, Toronto and across the league – your impact on the game is immeasurable. I’ll never be able to replicate that feeling of stepping onto the ice to the roar of the crowd, but it is something I’ll always remember. Thank you.

Spezza’s full statement can be read as part of the Maple Leafs’ announcement. While Spezza ends his career without any major NHL awards or his name on the Stanley Cup, he hangs up his skates with something arguably far more valuable: the respect and adoration of the entire hockey world.

Dubas spoke to that as part of the Maple Leafs’ announcement, stating: “It is difficult to describe just how much of a lasting and positive impact that Jason Spezza made in his three seasons with the Maple Leafs.” Similar comments have begun flowing in from across the hockey world. TSN’s Chris Johnston spoke to Spezza’s unwavering professionalism despite declining ice time and production, TSN’s James Duthie called him a “pure class guy from start to finish,” and Sportsnet’s Eric Engels put it simply: “great guy, great player.”

Engels’ statement is one that best describes the impact Spezza has had on hockey throughout his 20-year professional career. He could do it all on the ice: he led the Ottawa Senators to some of the best seasons in their franchise’s history and was among the NHL’s most talented scorers for that stretch. He dazzled with his offense and helped the NHL game transition to the more skill-based brand of hockey we are now accustomed to.

But even beyond Spezza’s incredible impact on the ice has been the things he’s done off it. Spezza has been involved in numerous philanthropic causes over the course of his career and has often led the charge in those efforts, using the valuable platform his skills gave him to do good. Whether it was in Ottawa, Dallas, or Toronto, Spezza always went above and beyond to be a player his city could be proud of, regardless of how he was performing on the ice.

In terms of his new role, Dubas said Spezza will begin immediately, starting with this year’s NHL Entry draft and free agency, and will primarily be observing and learning at this point (link). Dubas added that Spezza will be given the next year or so to experience the entire front office picture before determining where he is best suited in his management career (link). Of course not sure yet, Dubas predicted player evaluation and management would be where his former player would end up.

While a potential Hall of Fame debate and heated discussions about his ultimate on-ice legacy are sure to come, the impact Spezza leaves on this era of hockey and the teams he played for is undeniable. If Spezza’s career as a Maple Leafs executive is anything like his playing career, fans in Toronto should be extremely excited.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 05/25/22

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the North American focus on hockey remains starkly on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, most European seasons have wrapped up by now. That means a lot of players with NHL pedigrees are involved in some foreign transactions. We’ll keep track of those here today:

  • Defenseman Andrey Pedan, a 2011 third-round pick of the New York Islanders and 13-game NHL veteran with the Vancouver Canucks, is on the move in the KHL. SKA St. Petersburg acquired him via trade today from Dynamo Moskva, meaning Pedan will suit up for his third different KHL team since returning to Russia in 2018. Born in Lithuania, Pedan has Russian citizenship but underwent the majority of his development in North America. He came to join the OHL in 2010 and played professionally exclusively in North America through 2018.
  • Former Minnesota Wild and Washington Capital Casey Wellman announced his retirement today via Instagram. The California native was never drafted but made the jump to the NHL after the Wild picked him as a free agent from UMass in 2010. Before beginning a professional career in Europe in 2015, Wellman appeared in 54 NHL games, scoring six goals, 10 assists and 16 points.

Patrick Marleau Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 14 Comments

Thank you, hockey. That’s how Patrick Marleau titled his retirement post with the Players’ Tribune, announcing that he is finally stepping away from the game for good. The NHL’s all-time games played leader didn’t play this season, and will finally hang up the skates officially at the age of 42.

It was all too fitting that a kid from Aneroid, Saskatchewan would be the one to pass Gordie Howe’s record, as Marleau did last season. With 1,779, no one has appeared more in the regular season than the 1997 second-overall pick. The first pick that season? None other than long-time teammate Joe Thornton, who shared so many memories with the San Jose Sharks. Despite spending a few years with the Toronto Maple Leafs and a handful of games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, it’s San Jose where Marleau will be irrevocably linked.

Though he won no individual awards and the Sharks never hoisted the Stanley Cup, Marleau’s career was far from disappointing. He twice pulled an Olympic gold medal over his head with Team Canada, a key part of both the 2010 and 2014 Games. Add two World Championship medals and nearly 200 playoff contests, and it’s easy to see why Marleau lasted just as long as he did.

Perhaps most impressive was his durability. In none of the 82-game seasons he played in did he suit up fewer than 74 times (which happened as a rookie) and for more than a decade at the end of his career, he was on the ice every night. Remember, this was still while suiting up in the playoffs nearly every year, as Marleau appeared in the postseason in 20 different campaigns.

The ultimate accumulator, Marleau will finish with 1,197 career regular season points, good enough for 50th all-time. While some may argue with his Hall of Fame credentials, he seems a good bet to eventually get in because of just how long he played at the highest level, and how consistent he was during those years.

Jerry York Retires As Head Coach Of Boston College

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The winningest coach in NCAA hockey history is hanging up his whistle. Jerry York, head coach of Boston College for the past 28 years, has announced his retirement. Director of Athletics Patrick Kraft released the following statement:

It is difficult to put into words all that Jerry York means to Boston College. His record as the winningest coach in NCAA men’s ice hockey and BC hockey speak for themselves, but it is his humility, decency, unwavering commitment to his players, fellow coaches, and all of us in the BC family, and the quiet ways in which he contributes to this community that make him so beloved. He is a legend and one of the classiest individuals to ever coach in college sports. It has been a joy to work with him, and on behalf of all of us in the BC community I wish him, Bobbie, and his entire family the very best in his retirement years.

In 1993, York left Bowling Green State for BC, and found a program that was in trouble. In the years since, he turned it into one of college hockey’s powerhouses, winning the national championship in 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012. His team won the Hockey East Tournament nine times, and was named Hockey East Coach of the Year on five different occasions. Nearly countless NHL and AHL players have come through the BC program with York at its helm, including names like Johnny Gaudreau, Cam Atkinson, Kevin Hayes, Noah Hanifin, Chris Kreider, Alex Tuch, and many, many more. Jack McBain, who debuted last night for the Arizona Coyotes, is the latest product to hit NHL ice.

One of the most well-respected and well-liked coaches in all of North American hockey, York was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019 in the builder category, and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020. There are few people who have had a bigger impact on the game in the U.S.

In his retirement, York explained that he told his coaches and players of his retirement today. It is based on a desire to “travel more with his wife, Bobbie, play golf for the first time during a weekend in the fall, spend more time with his family, and watch his two grandchildren play hockey, lacrosse, and soccer games in Pittsburgh.”

Tuukka Rask Announces His Retirement

at CDT | by 32 Comments

Feb 9: Rask has officially announced his retirement, explaining that his body just wasn’t responding the way he hoped. In a long statement, he thanked the organization, fans, and his many teammates for all of the support over a long career.

Feb 8: Two sources reported to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa today that the Boston Bruins don’t expect legendary goaltender Tuukka Rask to come back and play again this season, adding that Rask may finalize a retirement decision within the next few days.

Rask has not played since January 24th, allowing five goals on 27 shots to the Anaheim Ducks. He backed up the team’s next game but has been on injured reserve since that time, reporting discomfort in his hip after having surgery on it this past offseason.

While it’s not a certainty that Rask will retire, it certainly seems like the most likely option for the 34-year-old goalie. His hip surgery required extensive rehabilitation, missing nearly six months with the injury before returning to Boston in early-mid January. He hasn’t been his usual self, posting just a .844 save percentage and 4.28 goals-against average in four starts this year.

If this does end up being the end of Tuukka Time in Boston, he leaves as undoubtedly the best goaltender in franchise history. He’s first among all Bruins goalies all-time in wins (308), games played (564), and tied with Tim Thomas for best save percentage with a minimum of 100 games played (.921).

There was only one thing missing from his resume with a Vezina and Jennings Trophy already under his belt — a Stanley Cup of his own. He was the team’s backup during the 2011 Stanley Cup victory but never played a game on the playoff run behind Thomas. That was the goal he’d hoped to achieve this season, forming a formidable goalie trio with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.

With that, though, the team should still be set in goal for the rest of the season. Both Ullmark and Swayman — especially Swayman — have played like legitimate starters in Boston and continue to do so. While it’ll certainly be an emotional day if Rask does announce his retirement, the team’s solidified there for the near future.

Photo from USA Today Sports Images

Troy Brouwer Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Though he hasn’t played since the 2019-20 season, and he’s still technically on Calgary Flames payroll, Troy Brouwer has announced his retirement. The veteran forward and St. Louis Blues issued a release that includes some of Brouwer’s most memorable moments, along with many thanks to the people that helped him along the way.

Brouwer, 36, was never even expected to make it to the NHL. Selected 214th overall in 2004, a few selections from what would be the end of the draft these days, the big winger was known more for his physical play than his offensive upside in his early junior days. That unquenchable work ethic and fearlessness eventually turned him into a star for the Moose Jaw Warriors though and then carried him right into success in professional hockey. Brouwer would score 41 goals in his first AHL season and 35 in his second, all while racking up more than 220 penalty minutes.

It wasn’t long before he was in the NHL, playing regular minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2010 he was a key part of the team’s Stanley Cup championship, but he would find himself shipped out of town as one of the group’s salary cup casualties. He still found success in Washington, posting a career-high 25 goals and 43 points in 2014-15. The same could be said about his short stint in St. Louis, before stops in Calgary and Florida.

In all, Brouwer will retire with 851 regular season games under his belt, but 106 more in the postseason. His 182 goals and 363 career points are many more than anyone expected from the seventh-round pick, and a great example to show prospects that aren’t selected quite as high as they hoped.

Dion Phaneuf Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Though he hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2018-19 season and is still technically on the books for both the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings, Dion Phaneuf has announced his retirement. The veteran defenseman released a long statement thanking his family, friends and the teammates he made along the way. In it, he gives special mention to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who hosted his retirement ceremony today:

A great thanks to the entire Toronto Maple Leafs organization, their ownership and leadership  Larry Tanenbaum and Brendan Shanahan  for providing me with this opportunity to retire with such love and support here in Toronto. It was a special honour to represent the Maple Leafs as team captain a point of pride and honour that I will carry with me forever.

Selected ninth overall by the Calgary Flames in 2003, Phaneuf was a throwback defenseman who at his peak could compete in any style of hockey. The 6’4″, left-shot powerhouse was a star for the Red Deer Rebels, scoring goals and racking up penalty minutes with big hits and tough fights. By the time he made his debut with the Flames in 2005 he was already a well-known name in Canada thanks to his performances at the World Juniors, but his first taste of the NHL put him on the map for all hockey fans. With 20 goals and 49 points in his rookie season, he finished eighth in Norris Trophy voting and only failed to win the Calder Trophy because there were a couple of players named Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby entering the league.

In 2007-08 Phaneuf would reach a career-high of 60 points, while also racking up 182 penalty minutes as he fearlessly patroled the Calgary blue line. He’d finish second in Norris voting that year, trailing only legendary defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who was taking home the trophy for the sixth time in seven years. That was the closest Phaneuf would get, but he still had a long career ahead of him, including his captaincy in Toronto. Overall, he played in 1,048 regular season games, racking up 494 points, 1,345 penalty minutes and more than 2,000 hits.

In 2019, the last two years of his contract were bought out by the Kings, meaning he’ll still receive a paycheck through 2022-23. The Senators had been retaining salary on the deal, so both franchises carry a part of Phaneuf’s cap hit for this season and next.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top