Former Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara will have company in retirement.
Chara signed a one-day contract with the Bruins and retired from the NHL on Tuesday, but he was far from the only star in the league to call it a career on that day.
Former Bruins villain P.K. Subban, who spent seven years playing for the Montreal Canadians, along with iron man Keith Yandle both announced their retirement as well.
Subban, 33, had plenty of battles with the Bruins while suiting up for the Canadians, but he also played for the Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils as part of his 13-year career. The dynamic defenseman leaves the NHL having produced 467 points on 115 goals and 352 assists in 834 career games. Subban took to social media to announce he was retiring.
“I remember my dreams of playing in the NHL and winning a Stanley Cup,” Subban wrote in an Instagram post, per ESPN’s Kristen Shilton, “similar to the guys on the Don Cherry Rock’em Sock’em tapes at the end of every volume, with the black eyes, broken bones, and tears of joy. To this day, I still dream about it.
“I never looked at myself or ever felt I was ‘just a hockey player.’ I always looked at myself as a person who happened to play hockey. Having that perspective allowed me to enjoy every shift like it was my last, celebrate every goal with emotion, and play every game as if someone paid to watch me play who had never seen me play before…the NHL also provided me with a platform that allowed me to give back (through) my charities. A sincere thank you to the many players that I either played with or competed against who brought out the best in me.”
Yandle, a Milton, Mass. native, is most known for his iron man streak, in which he played in an NHL record 989 straight games. The defenseman spent 16 years in the league, playing for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers and Florida Panthers before ending his career with the Philadelphia Flyers.
“The last year it’s one of those things I’ve been thinking about,” Yandle said on Barstool Sports’ “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, as transcribed by ESPN. “When that’s all you know in your life, to call it quits on it, to call it an end, it’s nerve-wracking. You’re worried about what you’re going to do. Especially this time of the year, you’re ramping up for training camp.
“The last couple weeks I’ve been at ease with it. Really enjoyed spending time with the family. … I think for me I’m really at ease with it and looking forward to the next chapter.”
Yandle played in 1,109 career games, tallying 103 goals and 619 points.
