Dion Phaneuf, a big bruising defenceman and former captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has announced his retirement after 14 NHL seasons.
The 36-year-old made the announcement in an interview with the Toronto Sun, saying “I’m proud of my career.”
“I’m proud to be the guy who dreamt about playing in the NHL when I was skating on the outdoor rink growing up in Edmonton,” Phaneuf said. “You look back at everything at a time like this. I owe a lot to Brent Sutter for teaching me in junior how to be a pro. I owe a lot to some of the unbelievable teammates I had, like Jarome Iginla.”
Phaneuf was the ninth overall pick in a loaded 2003 NHL Draft and broke into the NHL after the lockout in 2005-06 with the Calgary Flames. He made an immediate impact as a 20-year-old, scoring 20 goals and 49 points, ultimately finishing third in Calder Trophy voting behind Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
Phaneuf was traded to the Maple Leafs in a seven-player blockbuster in January of 2010 and spent the next seven seasons as the No. 1 defenceman under the brightest lights in the NHL. Less than a year later, at just age 25, Phaneuf was named captain of the Maple Leafs, a role he would hold for parts of six seasons and nearly 400 games.
The Maple Leafs traded Phaneuf to the Ottawa Senators in February of 2016 where he spent parts three seasons before being moved to the Los Angeles Kings. His final season, with the Kings, came in 2018-19.
Phaneuf retires after playing 1,048 games and scoring 494 points. Known for his physical play, he recorded 2,058 hits, 1,372 shot blocks and 1,345 penalty minutes in his career. Phaneuf skated in seven post-seasons but only advanced past the first round once, in 2016-17 when the Senators reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Maple Leafs will honour Phaneuf in a pre-game ceremony before Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators.
“I wish we had had more success here,” Phaneuf, who now lives in Los Angeles with his wife — actress Elisha Cuthbert — and their daughter, said of his time with the Maple Leafs. “I take responsibility for that. I was honoured to be captain. I left everything I had out there.”
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