Hornqvist, 2-time Stanley Cup champion, retires from NHL
36-year-old played 15 seasons, limited to 22 games for Panthers in 2022-23 with concussion
ByNHL.com @NHLdotcom
Patric Hornqvist, a two-time Stanley Cup champion who played 15 seasons in the NHL, announced his retirement Wednesday.
The 36-year-old forward, who had three points (one goal, two assists) in 22 games last season for the Florida Panthers, told Per Bjurman of Sportsblade his playing career was over.
"I've been in this bubble since I started to play as a kid, hockey has been a huge part of my life so of course it's a difficult decision to make," Hornqvist said. "It will be a big transition, but it feels good now, I'm looking forward to the rest of my life. It's the most important thing."
Hornqvist last played Dec. 3, when he sustained his second concussion in a month.
"I'm feeling fine now and hopefully I have many fine years ahead of me," Hornqvist said, "and with my history of injuries I don't want to risk any future harm."
The native of Sollentuna, Sweden, had 543 points (264 goals, 279 assists) in 901 NHL games for the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Panthers. His 264 goals are tied with Nicklas Lidstrom, Thomas Steen and Kent Nilsson for 10th most by a Sweden-born player.
Hornqvist had 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists) in 106 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including the Cup-clinching goal for the Penguins with 1:35 remaining in the third period in Game 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final against the Predators. He was also a member of Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup championship team in 2016.
Though Hornqvist didn't play the rest of last season or the playoffs, he was a key contributor to the Panthers' surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final, a five-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He helped veterans like goalie Sergei Bobrovsky prepare for the postseason.
"Patric Hornqvist is a great story for us," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "He is a hard-driving, fit man. He would be very similar in Carolina to (coach Rod) Brind'Amour. He's in that gym. And now it's over for him, but he stayed, and when we have injured players, he skates them, he drives them. You've got to keep up with Patric if you think you're ready to play, which is no easy task."
Selected by the Predators with the final pick of the 2005 NHL Draft (No. 230), Hornqvist made his NHL debut Oct. 10, 2008, and after playing 28 games that season became a regular for Nashville the following season, scoring an NHL career-high 30 goals in 80 games.
He was traded to the Penguins with forward Nick Spaling for forward James Neal on June 27, 2014, becoming a key member of the two-time Cup champions. He was acquired by the Panthers in a trade with the Penguins for defenseman Mike Matheson and forward Colton Sceviour on Sept. 24, 2020.
"Looking back, it's great to think that I have two rings and a gold medal from [the 2018 IIHF World Championship], and that I actually contributed to those wins," Hornqvist said. "That's something I couldn't have dreamed of, but foremost I'm most grateful and happy about all the great people I've got to know. Players, coaches, equipment managers … you name it. The world of hockey is full of great people, so if it's one thing that I'm going to miss it's the time in the locker room with the guys."
Hornqvist told Sportsblade that Panthers general manager Bill Zito wants to keep him in the organization.
"Obviously that's warming words and I would really like continue working with hockey," he said. "Part of it is to give back and part of it is to stay in this circus. There is nothing better. What kind of role it will be, we have to wait and see, but for now I'm going to be stationed in Stockholm; we have moved back to Sweden now. Then we will wait and see how it feels in a couple of years."
