Forward Martin St. Louis has come to the decision that his days as an active player in the National Hockey League are over, retiring and putting to rest an illustrious career at the age of 40.
Marty St. Louis has announced his retirement at the age of 40. The 2004 Hart Trophy winner had 52 points in 74 games last season. #TSN
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 2, 2015
A Stanley Cup Champion, Gold medalist, Hart Trophy winner, Ted Lindsay winner, two-time Art Ross winner and a three-time recipient of the Lady Byng, there wasn’t much left for St. Louis to accomplish. Given his age and his compete level, there was still a lot he had to offer in today’s game, but it became evident that his game took a downturn during the post-season. St. Louis wished to remain with the Rangers and stay close to home, but the Rangers were no longer interested in his services and St. Louis preferred to call it quits than to be away from home.
Last season, his 52 points in 74 games was his lowest point total since his 35-point season in 2001-02 as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he also mustered just one goal in 19 playoff games. However, his 21 goals was good enough for second on the team and St. Louis also finished fourth in points, so it could be a production matter on the whole team and not just St. Louis himself.
Last season, his Corsi% went from a 50.6 combined with the Lightning and Rangers in 2013-14 (with a slight increase after joining New York) to a 47.3, though it’s important to note that he got more defensive zone starts than last season, going from 51.5% last season to 53.3% this past season. This number steadied back to 51.2% during the playoffs. He scored just one goal during the Rangers most recent run at the Stanley Cup and after failing to reach the Stanley Cup final for a second consecutive year, New York drifted away from the 40-year-old forward.
As close as he was to a second Stanley Cup ring, Martin St. Louis will be remembered for his passion, his will, and one of the best scoring forwards of his era regardless of how small he was. It will only be a matter of time now before he can officially qualify for the Hockey Hall of Fame. When he does, he’ll be a lock.
