New York Rangers' Dan Girardi reacts after scoring a goal against the New Jersey Devils during the Eastern Conference finals on May 19, 2012, in Newark, N.J.The Associated Press
Former New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Dan Girardi will retire from the NHL after 13 seasons.
Girardi appeared in 927 games, finishing with 56 goals and 264 points and a plus-78 ratings. He also played in 143 playoff games, four Eastern Conference Finals and one Stanley Cup Final over 11 seasons with the Rangers and two with the Lightning.
The 35-year-old defenceman entered the league with New York as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and appeared in 788 regular-season games with the Rangers, helping them reach the playoffs 10 times. He signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in 2017 and had 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points the past two seasons.
“I gave my all every single night and left it all out on the ice,” Girardi said. “Now it’s time for the next chapter of my life to begin and I couldn’t be happier...and so is my body.”
No player has more blocked shots than Girardi’s 1,954 – nearly 1,700 of them with the Rangers – since the NHL began keeping track in the 2005-06 season.