Longtime Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask on Wednesday announced his retirement from the NHL after 15 seasons in Boston.
Shortly after he announced he was stepping away, the Bruins took to social media to issue a simple message thanking the goaltender for his contributions to the club:
“Tuukka — thank you for 15 incredible seasons and your unwavering passion for the Spoked-B. Congratulations, and best of luck to you and your family as you begin this next chapter.”
The news comes after a report from Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that Rask intended to retire. If Cassidy was aware of Rask’s plan, he did not share it with reporters following Tuesday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Rask entered free agency following the 2020-21 season but did not sign as he underwent hip surgery. Bruins brass maintained that a spot would be available for the Finnish star on the Boston roster should he return, and that came to fruition in January. Rask signed a professional tryout contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins but did not play for the team as his scheduled start was canceled due to COVID-19 issues. The 34-year-old instead returned to the big club, pushing Jeremy Swayman down to Providence and making his first start in seven months back on Jan. 14.
Rask played four starts before he was sidelined with a lower-body injury. His last game was Jan. 24.
Ultimately, Rask finished his career with two All-Star selections and a Vezina Trophy while posting a .921 career save percentage and 2.28 goals against average through a franchise-record 564 games (543 starts).
