Former NHL skater Adam McQuaid has retired at the age of 34. The Stanley Cup champion leaves the game after 10 years and over 500 games. The Players Association announced McQuaid’s decision Monday.
Wishing all the best to Adam McQuaid in his retirement, which comes after 512 NHL GP and a #StanleyCup! pic.twitter.com/DeOCs9urEN
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) January 18, 2021
Adam McQuaid Retires
McQuaid’s last season came in 2018-19 as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers. He played in 50 games combined with three goals and seven points. Physical play was still the main asset of McQuaid’s style with 122 hits and 88 blocks credited in 15:47 of ice time.
The Blue Jackets originally drafted the 6’4″ McQuaid in the second round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft but traded him to the Boston Bruins in 2007 in exchange for a fifth-round pick that eventually became Jamie Benn. McQuaid would play in Boston for nine seasons from 2009-10 through 2017-18. He accumulated a total of 13 goals and 66 points in 462 games along with 870 hits and 746 blocks as a member of the Bruins blueline that consistently ranked among the league’s toughest. He was a member of the team’s 2010-11 Stanley Cup run and contributed four points, 30 hits and 31 blocks while averaging 13:02 per game.
How McQuaid Will Be Remembered
Nothing particularly stands out about McQuaid’s career, but he did exactly what someone of his size and era was expected to do. He played tough minutes and took pride in getting in the opponent’s faces. He consistently accumulated 60 or more penalty minutes despite never averaging more than 18:26 per game. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that given that he played in a grittier era than the one we see now built upon skill and speed.
McQuaid will go down in history as a tough defender who helped Boston win its first Stanley Cup since 1971-72. He ends his career with the eighth-most games among players born in Prince Edward Island and tenth in points. Fans should respect what he did with fairly limited skills while fighting through injuries.
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