Now that the Stanley Cup playoffs are over, you can expect to hear about a few players retiring between now and early July. We've already heard about Glen Wesley hanging up the skates. Sami Kapanen will finish his career back in Finland. Chris Simon is finally out of the NHL, unbelievably signing in Russia!
Whether it is via outright retirement, inability to find a contract or a return to an European league, here's a list of players who have potentially played their last NHL games.
Anaheim
Scott Niedermayer
Teemu Selanne
Doug Weight
Atlanta
Mark Recchi
Buffalo
Teppo Numminen
Carolina
Bret Hedican
Chicago
Yanic Perreault
Andrei Zyuzin
Columbus
Michael Peca
Colorado
Peter Forsberg
Joe Sakic
Adam Foote
Dallas
Stu Barnes
Mattias Norstrom
Detroit
Dallas Drake
Darren McCarty
Dominik Hasek
Edmonton
Geoff Sanderson
Florida
Magnus Johansson
Los Angeles
Scott Thornton
Jon Klemm
Oleg Tverdovsky
Dan Cloutier
Minnesota
Chris Simon
Sean Hill
Keith Carney
Branko Radivojevic
Montreal
Bryan Smolinski
Patrice Brisebois
Nashville
Steve Sullivan
Martin Gelinas
New Jersey
Richard Matvichuk
Karel Rachunek
New York Islanders
Bryan Berard
New York Rangers
Marek Malik
Ottawa
Luke Richardson
Philadelphia
Jim Dowd
Jaroslav Modry
Jason Smith
Pittsburgh
Gary Roberts
Daryl Sydor
San Jose
Sandis Ozolinsh
St. Louis
Martin Rucinsky
Tampa Bay
Tim Taylor
Vancouver
Trevor Linden
Aaron Miller
Washington
Olaf Kolzig
7 comments:
Joe - no Brendan Shanahan or Jaromir Jagr?
From what I've read, both Jagr and Shanahan seem intent oncoming back as long as they find the right fit.
Joe Pelletier
Do you think (as I do) that Chris Chelios will continue playing until he's 65? :D
Chelios has said he will come back next year. He is also on record saying he told Gordie Howe personally he would retire after the age of 51.
My retirement watch list did not include players who are on record about coming back. That being said...
Olaf Kolzig has hinted he will return, though Washington has said they will not resign him. Will another team sign him? Not as a starting goalie I wouldn't suspect.
I didn't include Markus Naslund either, or Mats Sundin. Both have said retirement is a possibility, or returning to Europe is a possibility. I believe both will be back, but not necessarily with their current teams.
Also, I have no reason to suspect Joe Sakic will retire, but others have speculated. I still think Joe wants to be part of the 2010 Olympics in his hometown.
Joe
Interesting, 7 members (about 1/3?) of the 1996 Avs Stanley Cup Team
A lot of them are retired now.
Chris Chelios recently retired with the Thrashers.
Sakic and Shanahan both played their last games in 2009.
Kolzig ended his career with a season ending injury with Tampa Bay.
And both Mats Sundin and Markus Naslund retired, Sundin with the Canucks (not the Leafs), and Naslund with the Rangers (and the breif comeback with MODO)
Gary Roberts and Scott Niedermayer also surprisingly retired.
Recchi, Selanne, Modano and Jagr are both still playing however
Thanks North York Nut. This post was actually from summer 2008. The 2010 list would look quite a bit different now I would think.
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