Ladislav Smid Joins Edmonton Oil Kings
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
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
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.
Keith Yandle Announces Retirement
As if they coordinated it, a third defenseman has announced his retirement this morning. Keith Yandle will follow Zdeno Chara and P.K. Subban into retirement, telling listeners of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast that he is “literally taking his talents to South Beach and doing nothing.”
Yandle, 36, broke the all-time iron man streak this season, playing 989 consecutive games. In total, he hit the ice for 1,109 regular season games and racked up 619 points. It started in Phoenix, where a mid-round pick quickly turned from a lottery ticket to full-time regular, debuting in the 2006-07 season. After nearly 600 games with the Coyotes organization, he was traded to the New York Rangers, where Yandle would experience the most playoff success of his career.
In 2015, the Rangers would get within a game of the Stanley Cup Final, the closest the veteran defenseman would come to lifting the championship trophy. In total, despite playing parts of 16 years in the league, Yandle was only fortunate enough to suit up for 58 playoff games.
At his peak, Yandle was one of the most cerebral, effective offensive defensemen in the NHL, racking up points on the powerplay. In fact, of his 516 career assists, 254 of them came with the man-advantage, where he was deadly for a full decade.
Unfortunately for Yandle, though he currently holds the longest streak of consecutive games, he will likely lose it this year to Phil Kessel, who signed with the Vegas Golden Knights and is just seven games behind him. No matter what, he’ll always be known for his durability – which even included an 84-game season in 2014-15 thanks to a midseason trade.
The veteran market will certainly look different without Chara, Subban, and Yandle in it.
P.K. Subban Announces Retirement
Just a few minutes after Zdeno Chara packed up his gear, P.K. Subban decided to do the same. The veteran defenseman has announced his retirement in a long Twitter post, which reads in part:
I remember my dreams of playing in the NHL and winning a Stanley Cup, similar to the guys on the Don Cherry Rock’em Sock’em tapes at the end of every volume, with the black eyes, broken bones, and tears of joy. To this day, I still dream about it.
However, the end of this chapter is closing and after 13 years in the NHL, I have made the decision to retire.
Subban, 33, never did get a chance to raise the Stanley Cup over his 834-game NHL career, but was one of the best in the league for quite a while. The 2007 second-round pick burst onto the scene in 2010 as a high-flying rookie with the Montreal Canadiens, gaining fans and creating excitement every time he touched the puck. In his third season he won the Norris Trophy, scoring 38 points in the shortened 2012-13 season while logging more than 23 minutes a night.
He would be a Norris finalist twice more. Once with the Canadiens in 2015 and once with the Nashville Predators in 2018, following his 2016 trade that shocked the hockey world.
Overall, Subban will finish his career with 467 points in 834 games, not exactly the numbers that you would have predicted if you only saw him play as a youngster in Montreal. The last few seasons have not been very kind to his high-risk, high-reward game, with just 59 points coming in 189 games with the New Jersey Devils.
Still, there was a time that Subban was among the very best in the league and there seems to be little doubt about his future as a broadcaster – given he has already dabbled in that side of the game over the years.
Zdeno Chara Signs One-Day Contract With Boston Bruins; Announces Retirement
One of the most legendary players in NHL history has officially called it quits today. Zdeno Chara has announced that he will be retiring from professional hockey, signing a one-day contract this afternoon with the Boston Bruins to do it as a member of the team he is connected to most.
In a post on Instagram, “Big Zee” released the following:
After 25 seasons of professional hockey 1,680 NHL regular season games, 200 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and hundreds of international games I am proud to announce my decision to retire from the National Hockey League. In doing so, I am honored to return to TD Garden today to sign a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins and officially finish my career with the team that has meant so much to me and my family.
There are so many people that have helped contribute to my success, including all of you, and I look forward to properly thanking everyone this afternoon.
Starting his career with the New York Islanders back in 1997 after being selected in the third round, Chara would eventually find his way to the Ottawa Senators where he became a true star. After four years patrolling the blueline of Canada’s capital, he would join the Boston Bruins where he would spend the next 14 seasons and 1,023 games.
In total, his 1,680 regular season games put him seventh all-time in NHL history, first among defensemen. Even as he entered his mid-forties, he was still playing regularly for the Washington Capitals and, finally, the Islanders once again, as a bookend for his career.
The winner of the 2009 Norris Trophy, and a finalist on five other occasions, Chara should not have to wait long to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He got close to the Stanley Cup several times, but only lifted it once, in 2011 with the Bruins.
There are few players that have ever been more imposing, more dominant, or more recognizable than Chara, whose 6’9″ frame will be missed by many on NHL rinks moving forward. With 209 goals, 680 points, and 2,085 penalty minutes, there was something unique about the gigantic defender.
Kurtis Gabriel Retires From Pro Hockey
In a Twitter post Monday, forward Kurtis Gabriel announced his retirement from professional hockey after a nine-year career.
Gabriel, 29, spent last season with the Toronto Marlies and Rockford IceHogs in the AHL, also getting two NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also spent time in the Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, and San Jose Sharks organizations.
He retires with 371 AHL games under his belt, including 72 points and a whopping 639 penalty minutes. He had five points in 51 NHL games, totalling 153 penalty minutes as well.
With his 6’4″, 212-pound frame, Gabriel was one of the few prototypical enforcers left in pro hockey. Off the ice, he’s a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Well-loved wherever he played, Gabriel promises to have many post-career options if he wants to stay in the game.
The Newmarket, Ontario native was originally a third-round draft pick of the Wild in 2013.
Mikael Hakkarainen Retires Due To Heart Condition
Mikael Hakkarainen will always have the honor of being traded straight up for the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. He was the sole return for the Vegas Golden Knights when they sent Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks last year in a salary dump. Unfortunately, he will no longer get a chance to further his hockey story. Hakkarainen has announced his retirement due to a heart condition that could threaten his life if he continued to play.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, his story is one of unrealized potential, after starring in Finland minor hockey and then playing well at the USHL level for several years. After just one game with Providence College, he decided to leave the NCAA circuit, which could have potentially helped his development far more than the path he chose. After another year in the USHL, he entered professional hockey and barely played, suiting up just 14 total times in the AHL and another nine in the ECHL.
After the Fleury trade, the Golden Knights eventually terminated Hakkarainen’s contract to allow him a return to Europe. He played last season for Vasteras IK in the Swedish second tier, where he had 14 points in 26 games.
The 24-year-old hopes to continue in the hockey community in some way but can’t yet say what he’ll do next.
Pittsburgh Penguins Hire Greg Pateryn, Chris Butler
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made some additions to their scouting and development staff, with one name having played in the NHL just last season. Greg Pateryn will join the team as a professional scout, essentially announcing his retirement as a player after parts of nine seasons in the league. The team has also hired Chris Butler as a player development coach and Garrett Peters as a global crossover scout.
Pateryn, 32, spent most of last season with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, recording 12 points in 35 games. He also played ten times for the Anaheim Ducks, taking his career total to 290 regular season matches. A fifth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008, he played for the Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, and Montreal Canadiens over his professional career.
With the Penguins, he’ll be tasked with scouting western conference teams and will be based out of California, where he has played the last two years.
Butler, meanwhile, also concluded his playing career rather recently, retiring after the 2018-19 season. The 35-year-old former defenseman played 407 NHL games spread over parts of 11 seasons, suiting up for the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and St. Louis Blues. After retirement, he spent a year with the Arizona Coyotes as an amateur scout but will now be joining Trevor Daley in helping the organization’s defensive prospects. He reports to Tom Kostopolous, the team’s director of player development.
Peters joins the Penguins have five seasons with the St. Louis Blues, where he served as an amateur scout. He will scout players in North America and Europe for the Pittsburgh organization.
Snapshots: Laxdal, Clune, Klinkhammer
The OHL’s Oshawa Generals today named Derek Laxdal the 35th head coach in team history via a press release. Laxdal, 56, had spent the last eight seasons in the Dallas Stars organization. Before he was promoted midseason to the Stars’ NHL bench as an assistant coach in 2019-20, Laxdal was the head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars from 2014-15 to 2019.
The news means that Dallas will indeed undergo a complete overhaul of their core coaching staff from last season. The organization replaced a pair of other assistants this offseason, hiring Alain Nasreddine and Steve Spott to replace Todd Nelson and John Stevens. For Laxdal, the news marks a return to the CHL after eight years, last serving there as the head coach of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings from 2010 to 2014. His resume includes an ECHL Kelly Cup win in 2007 and ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2010 as the head coach of the Idaho Steelheads, a pair of WHL championships with the Oil Kings in 2012 and 2014, and a Memorial Cup championship in 2014.
- The AHL’s Toronto Marlies announced via Twitter today that captain and former NHLer Rich Clune has announced his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons, moving to a player development role with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clune hadn’t played in the NHL since 2015-16 saw him play 19 games with the Maple Leafs, but since then, he’d been an alternate captain or captain for the Marlies, providing an important leadership voice and mentoring the Leafs’ prospects. Clune joins Toronto’s player development department headed by Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser.
- Former NHLer Rob Klinkhammer is returning to the Chicago Blackhawks organization as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, per a team release. The news marks Klinkhammer’s retirement after he spent the last six seasons playing in the KHL. Klinkhammer, an undrafted free agent, played for Rockford from 2008-09 through 2011-12 and made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in the 2010-11 season.