33-year-old defenseman Michael Del Zotto announced his retirement on Instagram Wednesday.
“Today is a bittersweet day,” Del Zotto said in his Instagram post. “I was fortunate enough to play 14 years of professional hockey. “The blood, sweat, tears, broken bones, triumph, heartbreak, and sacrifice were worth every second.”
Del Zotto was initially selected No. 20 overall in the 2008 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers after a great Ontario Hockey League (OHL) run with the Oshawa Generals and London Knights. Del Zotto registered 183 points in 190 career games in the OHL.
He made his NHL debut in 2009-10 with the Rangers, where he spent five seasons in the Big Apple and played a significant role in 2011-12 when the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Final. He tallied 10 points in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff contests. Over 14 years, Del Zotto appeared in 736 games with the Rangers, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Ottawa Senators, where he tallied 63 goals and 199 assists for 262 points while racking up 1,038 blocked shots and 1,672 hits. He was a part of the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup-winning roster.
Del Zotto referenced his love for the fans, staff and teammates along his journey throughout his career, “So were the many amazing relationships I made along the way, said Del Zotto. “Teammates, staff members and fans were among those relationships, but the most meaningful were the ones I shared with the kids I met at Ronald McDonald house during my time in Vancouver and those with the Garden of Dreams during my time in New York, especially Liam and Taylor.”
He further alluded to the sacrifice it takes to be an athlete and how hard he worked while being under so much pressure, “Spending 14 years in a pressure-packed and heavily-scrutinized job feels like a lifetime in itself, one with plenty of highs and lows. I am proud of the life lessons I learned along the way. I have made many mistakes and have learned from them all. I never wanted to be just known as a hockey player. I want to be known as Michael Del Zotto, period. I am proud of who I have become today,” said Del Zotto.