Former NHL defenceman Dion Phaneuf has announced his retirement. The veteran blueliner revealed the end of his playing career in an interview with the Toronto Sun.
Dion Phaneuf is calling it a career after 1,048 NHL GP in 14 seasons. The three-time #NHLAllStar and former @MapleLeafs captain tallied 494 regular-season points.
Full release: https://t.co/c5TlRf18Ur pic.twitter.com/mSSQ36RcWk
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) November 16, 2021
Dion Phaneuf Retires
The Edmonton native was drafted ninth overall of a star-studded 2003 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames. Phaneuf burst onto the scene after the lockout to score 20 goals and 49 points a 20-year-old. He’d finish third in the Calder Trophy voting behind Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
Over his 14-year NHL career, Phaneuf played for the Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings. He scored 137 goals and got 357 assists for 494 points in 1,048 games.
Phaneuf served as the Leafs’ captain for parts of six seasons and encompassing 400 games. He played under the intense spotlight of Toronto as the team’s number one defenceman before being shipped to Ottawa in Feb. 2016. Phaneuf would wrap up his career with the Kings 2018-19, where he got a goal and five assists for six points in 67 games.
He also represented his native Canada on the international level as he won a silver and a gold at the junior level. Phaneuf also was part of the 2007 gold medal winners at the IIHF World Championships.
His Legacy
The veteran provided a lot of points early in his career, but he also had a physical edge to his game. Phaneuf recorded 2,058 hits, 1,372 shot blocks and 1,345 penalty minutes in his career. He was willing to mix it up if he needed to.
Phaneuf made the Stanley Cup Playoffs seven times, but only made it past the first round once in 2016 with the Senators. Ottawa reached the Eastern Conference final, but lost in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
He said that was proud of his career and he totally should be. It’s hard to last 14 years with such a rigorous style.
