Shanahan Retires After 21 Seasons

Brendan Shanahan in one of his final games as a New Jersey Devil. Saed Hindash - Wiki Commons

Just one week after the impressive 2009 class was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Brendan Shanahan, a sure-fire hall-of-famer is his own right, announced his retirement from the NHL after 21 seasons.

After finishing the 2008 season with the same team that drafted him, the New Jersey Devils and Shanahan parted ways at the conclusion of this season’s training camp. Although he re-signed with the Devils over the summer, Shanahan and head coach Jacques Lemaire couldn’t come to an agreement on what Shanahan’s role on the club would be.

Shanahan leaves the game with 656 goals and 1,354 points in 1,524 games. He’s 11th all-time in goals and 23rd in points. He’s also the only player in NHL history with at least 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes. One of the game’s all-time clutch performers, Shanahan ranks fifth all-time with 109 game-winning goals. He tallied 237 goals on the power play, also fifth in NHL history, including a League-leading and career-best 20 in 1996-97. Along with New Jersey, Shanahan also played for the Blues, Hartford Whalers, Red Wings and New York Rangers during his career.

Along with numbers, Shanahan was also known throughout the NHL for his professionalism both on and off the ice.

“He was a productive guy,” Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland said. “He was a star. He was a star player that had different dimensions. He was a good person. He was looked up to and respected by his teammates.”

It was in a Red Wings sweater where Shanahan had his greatest success as a player. In his nine seasons with the Wings he scored at least 30 goals seven times and more than 40 goals three times. He also won his three Stanley Cups in 1997, ‘98 and 2002.

Brendan Shanahan with the NY Rangers (Photo by Troy Parla/Wikimedia Commons)

“He became a big part of the team,” Scotty Bowman, who traded for Shanahan when he was Detroit’s GM. “We were always a skilled team and he was a power forward, physical, great strength. He could score, fight and check. … He was a great fit for our team.”

“I would like to thank my family and all of the friends who have helped me achieve and maintain my childhood dream of playing in the National Hockey League,” Shanahan said. “I am enormously grateful to all of my coaches and teammates I’ve had the privilege of learning from and playing along side of, throughout my career.”

A tough-as-nails player on the ice and a leader in the locker room, Shanahan was a rare breed of player who was able to combine grit, skill, and finesse into his game.

“While I always dreamed of playing in the NHL, I can’t honestly say that I would have ever imagined that I’d be this fortunate and blessed. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has helped me fulfill this dream.”