Veteran blueliner Marco Scandella retires after 784 career games

Former Minnesota Wild defenseman Marco Scandella announced his retirement from the NHL yesterday after a 14-year career. He was selected by the Wild in the second round (55th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft and made his NHL debut with Minnesota on November 12, 2010 at Florida. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound native of Montreal, Quebec, played his first seven NHL seasons with the Wild recording 89 points (27-62=89), 148 penalty minutes (PIM) and 503 shots on goal in 373 games from 2010-17. Scandella collected nine points (6-3=9) in 39 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Minnesota. He also tallied 42 points (7-35=42) in 96 games in parts of five seasons (2008-13) with the Houston Aeros in the American Hockey League (AHL). Scandella was also a member of the Houston team that advanced to the 2011 Calder Cup Final.

He ranks fifth in team history in Stanley Cup playoff games played by a defenseman and seventh in games played by a defenseman in the regular season.

On June 30, 2017, the Wild acquired Marcus Foligno, Tyler Ennis and a third-round selection (Jack McBain) in the 2018 NHL Draft from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Scandella and Jason Pominville.

Scandella would go on to play 176 games with the Sabres (2017-20) following the trade, 20 games with his hometown Montreal Canadiens (2019-20) and 215 games with the St. Louis Blues (2020-24). He finished his career with 170 points (51-119=170), a plus-11 rating, 294 PIM and 991 shots on goal in 784 games with Minnesota, Buffalo, Montreal and St. Louis.