Hard working fan favourite George Parros announced his retirement today.
Parros was one of the unlikeliest stories in NHL history. He spent four years, the last as captain, at Princeton University where he majored in Economics.
Drafted 222nd overall back in the 1999 NHL Draft by Los Angeles, thanks largely to his imposing size, he passed on a world on Wall Street to become one of the toughest goons in the NHL in the new millennium.
He likened it to a business decision. He knew he wouldn't last long in the NHL based on his puck skills or skating, so he accepted the job as tough guy. He made over $5 million in a career spanning 7 seasons.
Parros played in 474 NHL games, scoring 18 goals, 36 points and 1092 penalty minutes in a career give teams, but most notably Anaheim and Montreal.
Though he played sparingly, Parros was part of the Ducks Stanley Cup championship in 2007.
“I have no regrets,” Parros told The Hockey News. “I’m happy with my career and what I accomplished. People expect certain things and you kind of just become that player. If I had gotten my brains knocked in early it might have been different. It was easy for me to do it. It was always more of a business-type decision for me.”
While the 6'5" 230lb tough guy was a menace on the ice, he was one of the nicest guys off of it. He was perhaps most famous for his moustache, which he often put to charitable uses.
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