Scott Gomez retired from the NHL early this morning. The 36-year-old, 16-year NHL veteran began his final year with the St. Louis Blues on a professional try-out. He signed with the club but was later released from the contract. Gomez signed with the Ottawa Senators on March 2, 2016, for the remainder of the 2015-16 season. The Anchorage, AK native recorded one goal and eight assists in 34 contests in his final year in the NHL.
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Early Career
Originally drafted with the 27th pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils, Gomez spent two years in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans. He would jump from the junior ranks straight into the NHL for the 1999-2000 season.
Gomez would make a massive impact with the Devils despite the increase in competition. In his first year, he would post 19 goals and 51 assists playing in all 82 games. During the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Gomez would add another 19 points in ten games as New Jersey would win the Stanley Cup with a 4-2 series victory over the Dallas Stars. For his efforts, he won the Calder Trophy, beating out San Jose Sharks defender Brad Stuart and New York Rangers forward Mike York as the NHL’s top rookie. Gomez again win the Stanley Cup again in 2003 with the Devils and played a total of eight years in Newark, NJ.
Big Deals Mean Big Issues
After seven years with the Devils, Gomez signed a massive 7-year, $51.5 million deal with the Rangers. Gomez would last only two years with the Rangers before a trade, along with Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto, to the Montreal Canadiens for Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko, Christopher Higgins and Doug Janik.
His stint in Montreal would only last two and a half seasons. At the beginning of the abbreviated season due to the NHL lockout, Montreal General Manager Marc Bergevin would send Gomez home before training camp opened, planning to buy him out in the Summer. Ultimately the CBA was revised to allow one immediate buyout which Montreal immediately used. On January 17, Gomez was a free agent. He would sign with San Jose for the remainder of the shortened season on January 23.
Final Three Seasons
The next three years would see Gomez suit-up for the Florida Panthers, a second tour with New Jersey and his final season split between Ottawa and St. Louis. He also played in the ECHL with the Alaska Aces during both NHL lockouts and represented Team USA at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2006 Winter Olympics.
In his career, Gomez appeared in 1079 NHL games recording 181 goals and 575 assists.
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