Kyle Okposo announced his retirement from the NHL on Thursday after 17 seasons.
The 36-year-old forward retires after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season.
Okposo had 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) 67 games with the Panthers and Buffalo Sabres last season, and did not have a point in six games with Florida after he was acquired in a trade on March 8. He had two assists in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help the Panthers win the Cup.
"As I reflect on my NHL career, a few things stand out. I always tried to treat people with respect," Okposo said in a statement. "That respect was reciprocated throughout my interactions with most people in the hockey world. The relationships I cultivated with different people connected to the game are so important to the fabric of what makes hockey special. … It sounds simple, but if you follow 'The Golden Rule,' hockey will give you back everything you put into it.
"I still get butterflies thinking about watching opening night of the season each year. The thing I didn't know as a kid was all the tireless work done behind the scenes that made it such a privilege to play in the National Hockey League."
Okposo got his day with the Cup in July in his home state of Minnesota after a delay because of an international IT outage, which cancelled a public event he had schedule, but he still got to spend time with the Cup and his family.
"It was just nice to sit down and reflect on the journey that I've been on for the last 30 years and take the time to soak in how much that trophy means to me," he said at the time. "I was with both my sons in the bathroom and we were drinking apple juice out of it, which was a ton of fun. That was a pretty cool moment for me. Then at night we had a shindig for really close friends and family, and we had an absolute blast. It was a great time."
Selected by the New York Islanders with the No. 7 pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, Okposo had 614 points (242 goals, 372 assists) in 1,051 regular-season games for the Panthers, Sabres and Islanders and 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 41 playoff games.
"Thirty years of playing hockey was incredible," Okposo said. "It brought me to some amazing places and provided such unique experiences. I believe the game is in a great place right now, but the possibilities are vast. I'm looking forward to continuing to contribute to the games as it reaches new heights."
