It was a huge lifelong dream for Kyle Okposo to win the Stanley Cup and in 2024 as a member of the Florida Panthers, dreams came to reality. News came down on Thursday that Kyle Okposo retires after a long NHL career.
An open letter from Kyle Okposo. pic.twitter.com/wb5UC6yL4l
— CAA Hockey (@CAAHockey) September 19, 2024
Kyle Okposo Retires
The 36 year old, Minnesota native has had a long and productive 17-year NHL career. All told, in 1,051 regular season games, he scored 242 goals and 372 assists for 614 points by the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
He always has provided veteran leadership, grit, and was always solid finishing around goal. Okposo scored 20 goals four times. It seems the more ice time he got, the more he scored. Case in point, let’s go back to 2013-14, when he was a member of the New York Islanders. That season he really put it all together. He scored 27 times and totaled 69 points, each of which were career-highs. Also, he skated an impressive 20:26 a night that year on the Island.
Okposo was a trade deadline acquisition by Florida General Manager Bill Zito from the Buffalo Sabres. He didn’t score in six regular season games with the club. However, he notched two assists in 17 games during the team’s championship run.
What It Means
In more recent seasons, he ice time has decreased. However, his value as a productive fourth line was always there. No better example of that from this past season’s cup run in the Sunshine State. Florida had identified him as a great addition and picked him at the 2024 NHL trade deadline. He wasn’t very productive with Florida, but his presence on the bench and in the locker room could not have a price tag on it.
The veteran now gets to ride off into the sunset with that coveted Stanley Cup crown. It’s a dream of many pro athletes, but many Kyle Okposo retires with a championship ring to his resume.
Main photo credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
