Dion Phaneuf Announces Retirement
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.
Braydon Coburn Announces Retirement
After a long, successful career, Braydon Coburn is hanging up his skates. The veteran defenseman announced his retirement today, issuing a statement through the NHLPA:
Walking into NHL buildings for the last 16 years, surrounded by hockey’s greatest players, coaches, management, trainers, officials, and fans, has been an incredible privilege. I’m very proud to have come into the league as an Atlanta Thrasher, proudly wore the orange and black as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers, won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning and finished my career with the Ottawa Senators and the New York Islanders.
Thank you to my parents, grandparents, and siblings for the sacrifices you made helping me realize my NHL dream. Thank you to my minor hockey coaches for always making the game fun, and countless others that taught me how awesome it was to be a part of a team. I would also like to send a sincere thank you to my teammates, friends and family, especially my wife, Nadine, my daughter, Rory, and my son, Blair, for their patience, support and unwavering love. I’m thankful for the amazing people I have met along the way, and I am very excited for what is to come.
Coburn, 36, split last season between the Senators and Islanders, playing in 19 games total. Before that, he had spent several years with Tampa Bay, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2020. Though he was just a depth player by then, that certainly wasn’t the case for most of his career. For nine years in Philadelphia, Coburn averaged nearly 22 minutes a night, logging time in basically every situation. A huge, physical specimen standing at 6’5″, he was also talented enough with the puck to run a powerplay early in his career.
Over 983 regular season games, Coburn racked up 234 points, 720 penalty minutes, and more than 1,400 hits. He participated in the World Championship for Tema Canada on two occasions and was part of the 2005 World Junior squad that is considered one of the greatest groups of all time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Marian Gaborik Announces Retirement
Though he hasn’t played since 2018, Marian Gaborik has finally announced his retirement. His final NHL contract expired at the end of the 2020-21 season, officially as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, though he never came close to playing for them.
Gaborik holds the record as the highest-drafted Slovak in history, selected third overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2000. The team’s first draft choice was a good one, as he not only would score the first goal in Wild history but go on to rack up 218 more for the organization. A star almost from the moment he hit an NHL ice surface, Gaborik was a five-time 30-goal scorer for Minnesota, reaching a career-high of 42 in 2007-08. After is 500+ games with an expansion team, he would end up with the New York Rangers, where he cracked the 40-goal mark twice more before entering the back half of his career.
In 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings, Gaborik led all players in playoff goals with 14 en route to securing the Stanley Cup. While he would play for a few more years, he’d never reach that kind of goal-scoring prowess again.
Overall, Gaborik suited up for 1,035 regular season games and ends his career with 407 goals and 815 points. He is the all-time goals leader in Minnesota history, ranks fourth in points among all Slovakian NHL players (Peter Stastny, Marian Hossa, and Peter Bondra are ahead of him), and ranks 95th all-time in goals scored for the entire NHL. In his prime, there were few players more feared than Gaborik, able to score in countless different ways and from all angles of the offensive zone. His two-step acceleration was as strong as anyone in the league, and there’s a good chance he would have found success today even as the league continues to get faster and more mobile.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Wilson, Three Stars, Cash
Last year, Colin Wilson opened up in a piece for The Players’ Tribune, explaining that he had been dealing with untreated obsessive-compulsive disorder throughout his career. He was trying to educate young players on the importance of mental health and the risks that a professional career brought him.
Today, Wilson released an addendum titled “Addiction” in which he fully admits his addiction to drugs, use of Ambien and cocaine, and hopes to spread increased awareness following the recent fentanyl-contributed death of former NHL forward Jimmy Hayes. Wilson’s new piece is a worthwhile–if difficult–read for all sports fans.
- The league has announced the Three Stars for last week, with Kyle Connor taking home top spot after racking up five goals and eight points in three games. The point total was the same for Connor McDavid, who was the week’s second star, while Ilya Sorokin posted an outstanding .971 save percentage with two shutouts to earn third place. Sorokin was the first Islanders’ goaltender to post shutouts in consecutive days as he held the fort while Semyon Varlamov recovered from injury.
- One of the greatest sled hockey players of all time has announced his retirement, as Steve Cash will end his playing days after 16 seasons in goal for the U.S. National Team. Cash has three Paralympic Winter Games gold medals (and a bronze), eight World Championship gold medals, and lost just 16 games in regulation during his more than 150 starts for Team USA.
Snapshots: Lundqvist, Caufield, Popugaev
Immediately after Henrik Lundqvist announced his retirement last month, the New York Rangers confirmed that they would be retiring his number. They’ve now announced that on January 28, 2022, his No. 30 will be raised to the rafters and never worn again. Lundqvist is the franchise leader among goaltenders in games played, wins, saves, and save percentage (among those with at least 60 appearances).
He will become the 11th player to have his number retired by the team, joining Ed Giacomin (1), Brian Leetch (2), Harry Howell (3), Rod Gilbert (7), Andy Bathgate (9), Adam Graves (9), Mark Messier (11), Vic Hadfield (11), Jean Ratelle (19) and Mike Richter (35).
- The Montreal Canadiens have confirmed that young star Cole Caufield will be out for a week with an upper-body injury suffered over the weekend. The 20-year-old played against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and then was pulled from the warmup for an intrasquad game on Sunday. With how important he is going to be for the team this year, keeping him healthy to start the season is extremely important for the Canadiens.
- It appears as though former New Jersey Devils prospect Nikita Popugaev has ended his hockey career, listing himself as an “ex hockey player” on Instagram. Popugaev was a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2017, but never signed with the team and spent last season in the KHL. Though his rights are technically retained indefinitely by the Devils, it appears as though the 22-year-old will no longer be pursuing his career on the ice.
Curtis McElhinney Announces Retirement
Veteran goaltender Curtis McElhinney was unable to find a team to sign with in free agency and rather than opt to try his hand at a tryout somewhere, he has instead called it a career, updating his Instagram profile to state that he has now retired.
The 38-year-old was never truly able to establish himself as a starter in the NHL but that didn’t stop him from having a long career as a backup. Following a strong season with Carolina as a 35-year-old in 2018-19, McElhinney was able to land a two-year deal with Tampa Bay that just ended this summer. He posted a 2.97 GAA along with a .895 SV% in 30 games with the Lightning over that stretch while winning a pair of Stanley Cups along the way; going out on top is never a bad way to go.
McElhinney played for eight different teams over his 13-year NHL career after being a sixth-round pick in 2002 by Calgary, spanning 249 appearances. He hangs up his skates with a 94-95-20 record along with a 2.83 GAA and a .907 SV% along with a dozen shutouts. PHR wishes him well in his retirement.
Travis Zajac Signs One-Day Contract With Devils, Announces Retirement
New Jersey, he’ll always be a Devil. Travis Zajac has signed a one-day contract with the New Jersey Devils before announcing his retirement from a playing career that lasted more than 1,000 games. Zajac will remain with the Devils organization in an on/off-ice player development and consulting role, while also working to grow the club’s youth hockey initiatives. The veteran forward thanked everyone along the way, while Devils managing partner David Blitzer released a statement as well:
During his 15-year NHL career, Travis Zajac’s consistent preparation, commitment and performance epitomized what it meant to be a New Jersey Devil. Win or lose, Travis’ teammates, coaches and fans could always count on him to play the right way. I am thrilled that Travis, his wife Nicole and their children will continue to make New Jersey their home, and they will be a valued part of the Devils organization moving forward.
Originally selected 20th overall in 2004, Zajac would be in the NHL full-time by 2006-07 and never look back. He scored 17 goals and 42 points that rookie season, numbers that would seem routine for him over the next decade. He reached a career-high of 25 goals and 67 points in the 2009-10 season and racked up 552 points in 1,037 career regular season games. All but 13 of those came with the Devils organization, though Zajac did have a short sojourn with the New York Islanders earlier this year, as GM Lou Lamoriello, who drafted him so many years ago, acquired the 36-year-old forward for a playoff run.
Despite having so much personal success, Zajac actually didn’t get that many chances to suit up in the postseason. He managed just 71 playoff games over his long career, only once going deep–the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012. A reliable two-way presence, he did receive Selke Trophy votes in seven different seasons, finishing sixth in 2010.
Now hanging up his skates, he’ll join the same Devils organization that has always been his home and help the next wave of talent reach the NHL.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Zack Smith Announces Retirement
It’s been more than 18 months since Zack Smith last laced up his skates for an NHL game, and it turns out that match against the Vancouver Canucks on February 12, 2020 will be his last. The veteran forward announced his retirement today, speaking with Ian Mendes of The Athletic.
Smith, who played parts of 11 seasons with the Ottawa Senators before spending the 2019-20 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, admitted that though he obviously loves the game, his “heart wasn’t into it the last couple of years.” He points to the moment in 2018 when he was placed on waivers by the Senators as one when he learned the “business side” of the game.
In 2020-21, Smith was still under contract with the Blackhawks but did not play after having back surgery the season prior. He is still dealing with pain and is now focused on his post-hockey health and life.
It was quite a career for the third-round pick, racking up 204 points in 662 regular season games. His most impressive season came in 2015-16 when he scored 25 goals and even received votes for the Selke Trophy as one of the league’s best defensive forwards. Though he did not ever lift the Stanley Cup, he did suit up 45 times in the postseason.
Minor Transactions: 09/14/21
The late off-season is certainly not a time known for big moves in the NHL, but behind the scenes there are a number of players making very difficult decisions as the season draws near. Sometimes the summer has not turned out how they expected an a tough call must be made on a new direction. Other times a long-considered decision reaches a head and a player must make a leap. Whatever the situation, don’t miss out on minor yet notable moves still occuring as we approach the beginning of training camps and preseason action:
- Liam Kirk 2.0? As one Brit gets ready for his first pro season in North America, another is about to make the jump to the top of the junior ranks. The U.K. is a rare spot for hockey talent, which is why Kirk’s draft selection and upcoming campaign with the Arizona Coyotes has drawn so much attention. Now, Alex Graham is hoping to follow in his footsteps. Despite playing almost exclusively in England thus far in his young career, Graham drew the attention of at least one Canadian junior team as he was selected by the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs in the second round of the 2021 CHL Import Draft. Today Niagara announced that Graham has signed on with the team and will make his North American debut this season. While much is still unknown about Graham, the 18-year-old has produced in the U.K. and certainly has appealing size. There is still time for him to show what he can do and draw some NHL Draft interest over the next year or two.
- Blake Hillman will be back in the ECHL next season, signing a one-year deal with the Toledo Walleye. A cautionary tale for college players, Hillman left the University of Denver a year early to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018. The defenseman even burned the first season of his two-year ELC that spring, playing in four games with Chicago. A disappointing AHL season later, Hillman was off an NHL contract and could not even contend for an AHL pact and seemingly remains in the same situation now. The two-way blue liner likely could have used that extra year of development in the NCAA before he was thrown into the flames of the pro game.
- Former AHL defenseman and long-time Swedish standout Sebastian Erixon has decided to call it a career at just 32. The talented but oft-injured defenseman has had an up-and-down career but excelled when healthy, both in the SHL and in a 2011-12 season spent with the Chicago Wolves. However, the injuries have become too much and forced the Farjestad captain into early retirement, the team announced. Erixon’s is a career with plenty of what-ifs, as he flashed NHL talent over a solid career in Sweden but could never string together enough top-notch, healthy seasons to make himself a legitimate contract candidate.
David Backes Signs One-Day Contract, Retires As Member Of St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues have brought David Backes home. The veteran forward has signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the team, just to announce his retirement from hockey. Backes released a long letter to the organization and the fans of St. Louis, including an explanation of just why he has chosen to hang up the skates at this point:
The game got faster and younger and I haven’t been associated with either of those adjectives in a long time.
My final goal was to play 1,000 games, but I came up 35 short.
In the end, it’s not that all these numbers don’t matter – they do, and I am damn proud of them. But the metrics that mean the most to me are the countless experiences and everlasting relationships that the game provided me.
That’s what I find is beyond measure.
Backes, 37, played a decade in St. Louis to start his career, ascending to the captaincy of the Blues by 2011. He scored 206 goals and 460 points in 727 regular season games with the team, but. was unable to find much success in the postseason. In his time there the Blues reached the Conference Finals just once, and by then he was already slowing down. In 2016 he was one of several high-profile free agents that signed expensive, long-term deals that failed to pan out as the league underwent a transformation toward youth and speed.
That second chapter of his career came in Boston, where he managed just 39 goals over 217 games, his declining footspeed slowly moving him further and further down the lineup. Always aware of his waning effectiveness, Backes decided to embrace a new role as a sort of enforcer for the Bruins by 2019, adding physicality and toughness to the fourth line.
When he was scratched more often than not during the first part of the 2019-20 season, the Bruins ended up trading Backes to the Anaheim Ducks, where he finished out his career with 21 appearances. That would take the veteran forward to 965, 35 short as he explained in his letter today. Though he failed to win any major awards, Backes was a Selke Trophy finalist in 2012 and finished in the top five for that award four years in a row. A fan favorite in St. Louis, he’ll now be able to say he finished his career where it started.