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Carl Hagelin Announces Retirement

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Two-time Stanley Cup champion winger Carl Hagelin announced his retirement today via an Instagram post. Now 35 years old, Hagelin missed the 2022-23 season due to severe eye and hip injuries.

“It’s been an amazing ride, but it ends here,” Hagelin said. “Unfortunately, my eye injury is too severe to keep playing the game I love.” He told reporters at the beginning of the offseason that he hoped to return to NHL play for the 2023-24 campaign, but unfortunately, that won’t be the case. His four-year, $11MM extension he’d signed with Washington in 2019 expired on July 1.

Picked in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers out of Södertälje SK’s junior program in Sweden, Hagelin took a somewhat unconventional path for European prospects and immediately came over to North America, embarking on a four-year collegiate career with the University of Michigan. It was undoubtedly the right choice, however – by his senior year, he was named team captain and produced over a point per game over his last two seasons.

Aside from a few games in the minors in 2011-12, Hagelin made the jump to the NHL immediately from college, recording 38 points in 64 games during his rookie season with the Rangers, along with a +24 rating. That placed him fifth in Calder Trophy voting and even earned him a few votes for the Selke Trophy.

He would continue consistently producing in the 30-40 point range over his four-year tenure with the Rangers but never really built on that rookie campaign. That’s not a knock on Hagelin at all, however. He was a quintessential two-way middle-six secondary scoring forward with a good amount of speed to his game. That’s even more impressive in relation to his sixth-round selection, given he went on to play over 700 NHL games.

His tenure in New York ended somewhat unceremoniously. A restricted free agent at the end of 2014-15, he couldn’t agree to a new deal with the Rangers and his signing rights were dealt to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for depth forward Emerson Etem (along with some draft picks changing hands, but nothing of significance). Anaheim compensated him nicely by signing him to the richest contract of his career (four years, $16MM), but Hagelin couldn’t really find his game in Southern California. He recorded just 12 points in 43 games to begin 2015-16 before Anaheim moved him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for David Perron, who was similarly underperforming in Pittsburgh.

It would turn out to be one of the most underrated transactions in Penguins history. Down the stretch, Hagelin would complete the famed third line with Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel that played such a crucial role in Pittsburgh winning their first of back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016. Hagelin exploded for 27 points in 37 games after the trade and added 16 points in 24 playoff games en route to the championship.

Again, he couldn’t quite recapture that performance the following season. While he would win another championship in 2017, he scored just two goals in 15 games during that playoff run. Fast forward to 2018-19, and Hagelin had scored only one goal and two assists through the first 16 games of the season. A move to the Los Angeles Kings in November didn’t do much for him, either – he recorded just five points in 22 games there. It was near the 2018-19 deadline that the Kings moved him to Washington, where he notched 11 points in the final 20 games of the season, appearing rejuvenated and earning himself the final four-year extension.

Hagelin would wrap up his career by scoring 20 goals and 66 points throughout 187 games in a Capitals uniform, posting solid numbers for a bottom-six scoring winger. Unfortunately, it was a freak eye injury in a practice in March of 2022 that would end his career.

PHR extends our best wishes to Hagelin in his continued recovery from both injuries and congratulates him on a championship-caliber career.

Joonas Donskoi Announces His Retirement

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Concussions have been a challenge throughout Joonas Donskoi’s career to the point where he has decided to call it a career.  The 31-year-old announced on his Instagram account that he is retiring, calling it the best decision for his well-being and future.

Donskoi was a fourth-round pick by Florida back in 2010 (99th overall) but ultimately didn’t sign with the Panthers.  He wound up being a bit of a late bloomer playing professionally in his native Finland.  It wasn’t until the 2013-14 campaign that he made an impact offensively and he followed that up a year later by notching 49 points in 58 regular season games with Karpat, collecting 22 more in 18 playoff contests, before ending with eight points in as many games at the Worlds.

That helped Donskoi earn an entry-level deal from San Jose in 2015 and he landed a regular spot in the lineup that fall.  He had a strong rookie season too, picking up 11 goals and 25 assists in 76 games, a point total that wound up being one of his best.  Donskoi also added a dozen points in 24 playoff games for the Sharks that season as they made it to the Stanley Cup Final.  He spent four seasons with San Jose before signing a four-year, $15.6MM contract with Colorado in 2019.

Donskoi had two productive seasons with Colorado with campaigns of 16 and 17 goals, his two best years in the NHL on that front.  He also was a capable secondary scorer in the playoffs for them, picking up 11 points in 19 contests.

That got him on the radar for Seattle in the Expansion Draft as the Kraken made Donskoi their selection from the Avs.  Unfortunately, he struggled in 2021-22, scoring just twice in 75 games although he did pick up 20 assists at least.  However, he then missed all of last season with a concussion which ultimately ended his playing days.

In the end, Donskoi wound up with 208 points in 474 games over seven NHL seasons.  Considering he had to play his way into an entry-level deal at the age of 23 after going unsigned by the team that drafted him, that’s a pretty solid showing that unfortunately came to an earlier end than he certainly would have preferred.

Dillon Simpson Retires, Begins Coaching Career

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Veteran defenseman Dillon Simpson has announced his retirement from professional hockey and revealed his new role as an assistant coach with the University of North Dakota hockey program, according to a release from the Fighting Hawks. The son of former Edmonton Oiler Craig Simpson, his decision to step away from active professional play marks the conclusion of a career that spanned nine seasons in the minors and nearly 500 AHL games.

Simpson’s professional journey began in 2011 after being selected in the fourth round by the Edmonton Oilers as an over-ager after a decent freshman season at North Dakota. He would spend the entirety of his pro career in the Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets after turning pro in 2014. He did only ever play three NHL games, all coming with Edmonton in the 2016-17 season, but grew into a respected leader and shutdown defender at the AHL level.

Post-retirement, Simpson, 30, returns to the school he captained during his senior season and accumulated 75 points and a +22 rating across four seasons and 156 appearances.

Used heavily in shutdown situations, Simpson spent the last four seasons in a leadership role for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, including serving as the team’s captain for the last two. He fell out of a regular role last season thanks to an early-season injury, however. Simpson skated in 29 games in 2022-23, recording a goal and an assist. He never won a Calder Cup but remained an integral part of AHL Bakersfield and Cleveland’s systems for nearly a decade.

PHR extends its best wishes to Simpson in his retirement and hopes for the best in his coaching career.

Jonathan Bernier Announces Retirement

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Veteran netminder Jonathan Bernier announced his retirement today via an Instagram post. He had not played since early into the 2021-22 campaign with the New Jersey Devils due to a hip injury, which kept him out for the remainder of that year and the entire 2022-23 season.

Drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with the 11th overall pick in 2006, Bernier never became the elite full-fledged starter they projected, but he did become a dependable backup or even tandem option during his peak seasons. Some of it was pure circumstance, though – he was stuck behind Jonathan Quick on the Kings’ list of goalie prospects and only got his first true shot at shouldering starting responsibility outside of the organization on a weak Toronto Maple Leafs team.

Bernier would go on to play 14 seasons and over 400 NHL games for the Kings, Maple Leafs, Devils, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Detroit Red Wings. He finishes with a 165-163-40 record in 363 starts, a .912 save percentage, a 2.78 goals-against average, and 18 shutouts. His peak actually came in his first season as a starter, not earning any Vezina consideration in 2013-14 despite putting up a 26-19-7 record and .922 save percentage in 55 games on a Toronto squad that struggled defensively. His numbers trailed after that, however, and he never got a shot as a full-time starter anywhere else other than his three seasons in Toronto.

Injuries certainly aren’t how anyone wants to end their career, especially when Bernier had signed on for two years in New Jersey to aid in their return to playoff contention. Unfortunately, he played just ten games there before the long-term hip injury eventually ended his time in the NHL.

After his stint in Toronto ended on a steep decline in 2016, Bernier went on to become a high-end backup option over the next five seasons – one spent in Anaheim, one spent in Colorado, and three spent in Detroit before joining the Devils. It was a long professional journey for Bernier, who first tasted NHL action with four starts as a 19-year-old with the Kings in 2007-08.

PHR wishes Bernier the best in retirement and any future endeavors.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

David Krejci Officially Announces Retirement

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Following up on reports from earlier in the month, Boston Bruins center David Krejci officially announced his retirement this morning via a statement issued on the team’s Twitter/X account. With Krejci confirming the news, 2023-24 marks the first time neither Krejci nor Patrice Bergeron will be in the Bruins’ lineup since 2005-06.

He didn’t specifically say he was retiring from hockey in general, just the NHL. It means a return to play in the Czech Extraliga as he did in 2021-22 is still possible but not a given. What’s clear is that as the 37-year-old steps away from the Bruins for a second time, a return is no longer in the cards. He’ll retire with the fourth-most points from the 2004 NHL Draft class after being selected 63rd overall by the Bruins, trailing only Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Blake Wheeler, who were all selected in the top five.

After coming to North America and playing two seasons of junior hockey with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques post-draft, Krejci got his first taste of NHL action with a six-game stint in 2006-07 after lighting up the AHL for 74 points in 69 games during his first pro season. He made the team out of camp the following season but was demoted back to AHL Providence in early November after recording three assists through his first 12 games. Krejci again dominated in the minors, posting 28 points in his next 25 games, leading to another call-up to the Bruins at the end of December 2007. He never looked back.

While it wasn’t technically his rookie season, as he played 56 games in 2007-08, 2008-09 was Krejci’s first campaign without an AHL assignment. He immediately burst onto the scene along with the rest of the team. At 22 years old, Krejci finished second on the team behind Marc Savard in assists (51) and points (73) while leading the team with a +37 rating, a campaign good enough to place him sixth in Selke Trophy voting. It was a statement season for the Bruins, who posted 116 points en route to their best regular season since the mid-1970s and entered a long, fruitful era of relatively consistent Stanley Cup contention with Krejci and Bergeron locked in down the middle. The breakout lined up with the end of his entry-level contract, and then-GM Peter Chiarelli rewarded him with a three-year, $3.75MM AAV bridge deal (equivalent to a $5.52MM AAV with today’s salary cap).

Krejci never won any individual accolades over the following 13 seasons, but he did become one of the most consistent players in the league. Save for lockouts and injury-shortened campaigns, Krejci produced at a clip of at least 50 points per year over an 82-game season for the remainder of his career. His crowning achievement, however, is undoubtedly his performance in the Bruins’ runs to the 2011 and 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. Winning in 2011, he led the league in playoff scoring with 12 goals and 23 points in 25 games but fell short of winning the Conn Smythe Trophy thanks to goalie Tim Thomas’ heroics (.940 SV%, 1.98 GAA, 4 SO). He followed that up again by leading the league with 17 assists and 26 points in 22 playoff games in 2013, but the Bruins fell short to the Chicago Blackhawks in dramatic fashion in Game 6, conceding two goals in the final 1:16 of the game at home.

After another bridge deal from Chiarelli in 2011 to keep him in Boston through 2014-15, Chiarelli signed Krejci to a contract extension for the third time in 2014. This time, he gave him a six-year, $7.25MM AAV deal that gave the Czech center his biggest payday and kept him from hitting unrestricted free agency the following summer. It was after that deal expired in 2021 that Krejci somewhat unexpectedly took time away from the league, returning home at age 35 on a one-year deal with HC Olomouc and recording 20 goals, 26 assists and 46 points in 51 games. He didn’t achieve his goal of winning a league championship with Olomouc, but he did record 12 points in ten games for Czechia at the World Championship en route to a bronze medal.

He returned to Boston last season on a one-year, bonus-laden deal worth $3MM with a cap hit of just $1MM. In doing so, he spent the final season of his career playing a pivotal role on the best regular-season team in NHL history. Holding down the second-line center spot behind Bergeron as he had for so many years, his line with Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak was key to Boston’s success. They played the most minutes together of any three-man unit for the Bruins (444 minutes, per MoneyPuck), and Krejci notched 16 goals and 40 assists for 56 points in 70 games in his final season wearing a black and gold sweater. Reunited with a pair of Czechs, the Bruins finally gave Krejci the support on the wings he’d deserved – a move that paid off as Pastrnak exploded for his first 60-goal campaign.

Krejci completes his NHL career with 231 goals, 555 assists and 786 points in 1,032 games. He added a career +166 rating, 43 game-winning goals, 53.1% Corsi for at even strength, and averaged 17:50 per game. He sits fifth in Bruins history in games played, trailing only Bergeron, Don Sweeney, Johnny Bucyk, and Ray Bourque. He also ends his career as fifth in assists as a Bruin and ninth in points.

PHR congratulates Krejci on a legendary and successful stint as a core player for an Original Six franchise – something that may very well earn him Hall of Fame consideration in the coming years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sven Baertschi Announces Retirement

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August 3: Baertschi has confirmed his retirement in a statement from SC Bern, citing health concerns. “Like most players, I’ve had a number of injuries that are now taking their toll,” Baertschi said. “After months of training, I realized that my body can no longer perform as well as I need it to. And playing with less than 100 percent, I can’t accept that.”

August 2: Left winger Sven Baertschi left the NHL for Europe last offseason, and after just one year overseas, Swiss outlet Blick reports that Baertschi is retiring with two seasons left on his contract with NL club SC Bern. The Swiss forward is stepping away from the game at 30 years old after accumulating 138 points in 292 games with the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights between 2012 and 2022.

The first three and a half seasons of his career were spent in Calgary, who selected him with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft after he put up 85 points in 66 games with the WHL’s Portland Winter Hawks. However, concussion issues quickly derailed a promising career after a trade to the Vancouver Canucks in 2015. He would never eclipse the 70-game mark in a single season with the club and never played more than 53 after his first reported concussion in 2016-17.

While he never found his footing in Calgary, he did post some solid numbers in a middle-six role for the Canucks before injuries stunted his play. His career-best campaign came in that 2016-17 season when he recorded 18 goals, 17 assists and 35 points in 68 games while averaging nearly 16 minutes per game.

After four injury-riddled seasons with the Canucks, Baertschi continued to slip down the depth chart and spent most of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns in the minors on assignment with the AHL’s Utica Comets. It looked like he had gotten his mojo back in that first campaign with Utica, recording 46 points in just 43 games, but he didn’t make the Canucks out of camp in 2020-21, and his production quickly trailed off.

He signed with the Vegas Golden Knights as a free agent the following offseason, where he again provided solid but unimpressive production for their minor-league affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. He did get into one game with Vegas in November 2021, skating 13:54 in a 5-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings. That will be his final NHL game. Playing in his home city of Bern last season, he produced well below expectations with just four goals in 36 games.

PHR extends its best wishes to Baertschi in retirement, especially in regards to his long-term health.

Patrice Bergeron Announces Retirement

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Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, one of the greatest players in franchise history and arguably the greatest defensive forward of all time, announced his retirement today.

Bergeron provided a statement regarding this decision in both French and English, which can be read in full here. An excerpt from the statement reads:

Finally, to the next generation of hockey players. I had a dream at 12 years old, and through hard work and perseverance my dreams came true more than I ever could have imagined. Respect the game and your peers. Welcome adversity and simply enjoy yourself. No matter where you go from there the game will bring you so much happiness.

As I step away today, I have no regrets. I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I’m humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans.

Bergeron turned 38 yesterday, and has been a regular in the NHL since his rookie season in 2003-04.

It was evident early on that Bergeron was something of a special player. Not many players drafted 45th overall take an immediate step into the NHL at the age of 18, and even fewer have as productive of a rookie season as Bergeron had.

He stepped straight into the Bruins’ lineup from the QMJHL and scored 16 goals and 39 points, averaging over 16 minutes per night.

By the age of 20, Bergeron had become a true top-six center in the NHL, scoring 31 goals and 73 points in his second full season. At the age of 24, Bergeron first appeared on a Selke Trophy ballot, and soon he would set the gold standard for defensive play by a center in the NHL. Bergeron’s victory in the Selke Trophy voting has been a formality for much of his career, and he finishes his playing days having won the prestigious award a record six times.

Beyond just setting the standard for two-way excellence, Bergeron has long been viewed as one of the game’s exceptional leaders. Bergeron won both the Mark Messier Leadership Award (2020-21) and King Clancy Memorial Trophy (2012-13) and was a yearly fixture on the Lady Byng Trophy ballot.

He also set the standard for work at the face-off dot, leading the NHL in face-off win percentage four times and posting a career 58.9% win rate.

Bergeron had long served as an alternate captain for the Bruins before taking up the captain’s role after the departure of Zdeno Chara. Under his watch, the Bruins had their most successful era of hockey since Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito tore the league apart in the early 1970s. The Bruins won three Prince of Wales trophies during Bergeron’s tenure, three Presidents’ Trophies, and the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1972.

In 2011 Bergeron truly shined, scoring 20 points in 23 playoff games, including the Stanley Cup-winning goal. While the Bruins undoubtedly would have loved to go on one last deep playoff run during Bergeron’s final season, a year where they set records for regular-season success, the organization is undoubtedly more than happy with the more than a decade of legitimate Stanley Cup contention Bergeron led them through.

Beyond just his work for the Bruins, Bergeron found success representing Canada internationally. At times forming a lethal two-way line alongside Bruins teammate Brad Marchand and superstar Sidney Crosby, Bergeron took home the gold medal at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics as well as the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.

A slam-dunk first-ballot Hall of Famer, Bergeron re-defined what it meant to be a two-way center in the NHL over the course of his career. Whenever NHL draft prospects playing center are asked who they’d like to emulate in the NHL, Bergeron is frequently the most commonly referenced name. That’s despite the existence of centers that have long surpassed Bergeron in offensive production, such as Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.

That likely reflects something that made Bergeron truly valuable: so much of what made him special was something another player could feasibly replicate through an immense amount of hard work.

If a player doesn’t possess the natural talent of a McDavid or a MacKinnon, expecting them to reflect those players in the NHL is impossible. But Bergeron, on the other hand, is a player whose many great qualities can be mimicked.

Not only did Bergeron provide Boston with exceptional individual on-ice value, he also provided the organization with an invaluable role model for other players to follow. His relatively affordable contracts created a team-friendly financial structure under the salary cap for the Bruins to be able to field a contending team year after year. Countless Bruins players, such as Pavel Zacha, for example, have seen their game improve after practice after practice under Bergeron’s wing.

Teams across the NHL dream of establishing a clear team culture that emphasizes excellence and selflessness both on and off the ice, as well as the importance of shared sacrifice in the pursuit of winning. Bergeron embodied that culture for the Bruins throughout his career, and for nearly two decades the Bruins and the city of Boston were better for it.

Even after his retirement, Bergeron is likely to be viewed as the pinnacle of two-way excellence for centers in the NHL and will continue to be a name oft-cited by draft prospects looking to establish credibility as a two-way player.

Although he leaves Boston in a relatively unclear spot down the middle (the team’s two top-six centers projected for next season are Zacha and Charlie Coyle, neither of whom have ever scored 60 points in the NHL) the franchise can ask nothing more of Bergeron, who played on a below-market $2.5MM contract last season.

Bergeron will now get to enjoy his retirement and leave a Bruins organization that will be eternally grateful for the nearly two decades of leadership, class, and on-ice excellence he provided.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Nate Thompson Retires

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Nate Thompson, a longtime bottom-six forward who played 844 games in the NHL, announced his retirement from the game on social media yesterday. Thompson, set to turn 39 in October, last played in the NHL in 2021-22, scoring three points in 33 games for the Philadelphia Flyers.

For much of his career, Thompson gave NHL clubs exactly what they would hope to receive out of a player occupying their fourth-line center role.

He brought leadership: Thompson wore a letter on his jersey with three different teams across his pro career, as early as 2006-07 with the Providence Bruins in the AHL and as late as 2019-20 with the Montreal Canadiens.

He brought defensive ability: Thompson often put his body on the line on the penalty kill and even landed on the Selke Trophy ballot in 2013. And he brought prowess at the faceoff dot, winning nearly 53% of his draws across his career.

Although Thompson’s career-high in points production was just 25, set all the way back in 2010-11, Thompson remained an NHL regular throughout his career. As Sportsnet’s Eric Engels noted, after breaking into the NHL Thompson only played five more games in the AHL before his final professional season, and all of those games were on conditioning stints. Engels wrote: “We’re talking about a guy who never came to training camp with a secure job, a career grinder who always managed to earn his spot for 17 straight seasons!”

That’s an extremely impressive feat, and underscores for just how long Thompson was considered an indispensable fourth-line forward. Thompson’s career highlights also include representing the United States at two IIHF Men’s World Championships, the 2012 and 2013 games played in Finland and Stockholm. Thompson wore a letter both years and led the Americans to a bronze medal in 2013.

All things considered, the Anchorage, Alaska native leaves behind a highly successful playing career and will now transition to the off-ice phase of his life and work.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Thomas Greiss Announces Retirement From NHL

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Veteran goaltender Thomas Greiss has officially announced his retirement from the NHL after a 14-season career, per the league. The 37-year-old, who last played for the St. Louis Blues and was an unrestricted free agent, ends his career as one of Germany’s most accomplished goaltenders.

During the 2022-23 season, Greiss appeared in just 21 games for the St. Louis Blues in a backup role, finishing with a 7-10-0 record, a 3.64 goals-against average, a .896 save percentage, and one shutout. However, as offers for the upcoming season failed to entice him, Greiss said he ultimately decided to hang up his skates and embark on new ventures outside the sport.

After being drafted in the third round (94th overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 2004 NHL Draft, Greiss embarked on a journey that saw him suit up for six teams throughout his career. In 368 regular-season games, including stints with the Blues, Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Phoenix Coyotes, and Sharks, he accumulated a record of 162-130-37. Greiss posted solid numbers across the board with a 2.77 GAA, a .911 save percentage, and 16 shutouts.

His most notable tenure came with the New York Islanders, where he enjoyed his best statistical seasons. From 2015 to 2020, he compiled a regular-season record of 101-60-17, accompanied by a 2.70 GAA, a .915 save percentage, and ten shutouts. In the playoffs, Greiss wasn’t a member of some recent teams that made it into the Conference Finals, but he did post quite strong numbers on the island in the postseason – recording a 7-8 record, a 2.41 GAA, a .921 save percentage, and one shutout. He did notably play a pivotal part in the Islanders’ first playoff series victory since 1993, helping the team secure a six-game triumph against the Florida Panthers in the 2016 Eastern Conference First Round.

The 2019 Jennings Trophy winner sits only behind Washington Capitals legend Olaf Kolzig among tenure-related statistical categories for German goalies in the NHL. While Kolzig represented Germany internationally, he was actually born in South Africa – making Greiss the first Germany-born goalie to surpass the 100-game milestone. Leading his fellow countrymen in games played, he ranks second only to Philipp Grubauer of the Seattle Kraken in GAA, save percentage, and shutouts. Internationally, Greiss also represented Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and Germany at the 2006 Turin Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, also playing three seasons with the DEL’s Kolner Haie before coming to the NHL with San Jose.

It’s worth noting, however, that Greiss was banned from representing Germany internationally in 2021 after social media activity that put into doubt “his attitude towards [the national team’s] values.”

It was fair to wonder whether Greiss would play at least another season at home if no NHL offers came, as the national team ban didn’t bar him from competing professionally in the DEL, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. His departure from St. Louis has officially left the door open for youngster Joel Hofer to take a full-time backup spot behind Jordan Binnington next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Alain Vigneault Announces Retirement From Coaching

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After a 19-season head coaching career spanning four teams, seasoned NHL bench boss Alain Vigneault has declared his retirement from coaching in an interview with the Journal de Québec, according to a report from French-Canadian outlet RDS.

Vigneault, still under contract with the Flyers after being fired in December of 2021, made it clear that his last contract would be his final one and that he has no intention of returning to coaching. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported last summer that Philadelphia was likely Vigneault’s final stop as an NHL head coach.

The 62-year-old Canadian coach leaves behind a rather illustrious coaching career – Vigneault’s 1,363 games behind an NHL bench places him 15th in NHL history for most games coached. He accumulated over 700 wins throughout his coaching journey, a feat achieved by only nine other coaches in NHL history.

However, he didn’t quite reach hockey’s pinnacle, never getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. Although he made the playoffs in 12 of his 19 seasons, he advanced twice to the Stanley Cup Final, losing in both tries.

Vigneault’s coaching tenure in the NHL began in the 1997-98 season when he took the helm of the Montreal Canadiens. He then went on to coach the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and finally, the Philadelphia Flyers.

Vigneault’s primary piece of individual hardware came in 2006-07, winning the Jack Adams Award in his first season with the Canucks after guiding the team to a 49-26-7 record and Northwest Division title. Vancouver would bow out in the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, thanks to a relatively innocuous double-overtime winner in Game 5 from Ducks defender Scott Niedermayer (video link).

Vancouver was undoubtedly Vigneault’s most successful stop, as he would win back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies with the team in 2010-11 and 2011-12. The Canucks made their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in nearly two decades in 2011 but fell to the Boston Bruins in seven games after taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

Vigneault made it back to the Final three seasons later with the New York Rangers but lost all three overtime games in the series en route to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings.

Before starting his coaching career, Vigneault had a brief playing stint as an NHLer. He played 42 games as a defenseman for the St. Louis Blues in the 1980s before transitioning to coaching at just 25 years old.

He does boast an all-time playoff record of 78-77, a rare mark above .500 for a coach without a Cup victory. With his longevity placing him in the upper echelon of all-time NHL coaches, as well as a Jack Adams and two conference championships, it wouldn’t surprise many to see a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame in his future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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