P.K. Subban, who played 13 seasons in the NHL, announced his retirement on Tuesday. Joe Puetz/Associated Press
Defenseman P.K. Subban announced his retirement from the NHL on Tuesday following 13 seasons playing for the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils.
The 33-year-old former Norris Trophy winner shared the news on social media.
Subban, who is from Toronto, registered 115 goals and 467 points in 824 regular-season games. The 43rd overall pick at the 2007 NHL draft added 62 points (18 goals, 44 assists) in 96 postseason games. He won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2013 with the Canadiens.
Subban, who was an unrestricted free agent this summer, has done television in the past and hinted at new opportunities in his retirement post.
“I never looked at myself or ever felt I was ‘just a hockey player,’ ” he wrote. “I always looked at myself as a person who happened to play hockey.
“Having that perspective allowed me to enjoy every shift like it was my last, celebrate every goal with emotion and play every game as if someone paid to watch me who had never seen me play before.”
KEITH YANDLE, 36, announced his retirement on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, saying, “The last year it’s one of those things I’ve been thinking about. . . . When that’s all you know in your life, just to call it an end, it’s nerve-racking.”
Throughout a 16-year career that included stints with the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers, Yandle established himself as one of the most durable and offensively skilled defensemen in the league. A three-time all-star selection, Yandle accounted for 103 goals and 619 points in 1,109 games. He set the NHL record for the most consecutive games played (989) before he was benched by the rebuilding Flyers late last season.
“Especially this time of the year, you’re usually ramping up for training camp. For me, the last couple weeks I’ve been at ease with it,” Yandle said of his retirement. “I think for me I’m really at ease with it and looking forward to the next chapter, for sure.”
AVALANCHE: Colorado is making Nathan MacKinnon the highest-paid player in the NHL’s salary cap era.
MacKinnon, who just turned 27 earlier this month, signed an eight-year contract that is worth $100.8 million, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce terms of the contract.
His new $12.6 million salary cap hit that goes into effect at the start of the 2023-24 season surpasses Connor McDavid’s $12.5 million as the highest in the league. McDavid’s $100 million, eight-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers signed in 2017 was the previous record for the highest annual cap hit since the system went into place in 2005.
The only richer deals than MacKinnon’s in NHL history are: Alex Ovechkin’s $124 million, 13-year contract with Washington, Shea Weber’s $110 million, 14-year contract with Nashville and Sidney Crosby’s $104.4 million, 12-year contract with Pittsburgh. The collective bargaining agreement has since limited contract lengths to eight years for a players re-signing with his own team and seven for free agents.
MacKinnon agreed to the deal with training camp about to start. It’s been a short offseason for MacKinnon and the Avalanche after they captured their first Stanley Cup title since 2001.
BLUES: Defenseman Marco Scandella is expected to miss a majority of the coming NHL season after undergoing surgery on his right hip joint. He got injured during offseason training in late August and will be re-evaluated in six months.
The injury to Scandella is another change at a position that has undergone a near-complete overhaul since St. Louis won the Stanley Cup in 2019. Only top-pairing defenseman Colton Parayko and veteran grinder Robert Bortuzzo are left from that group, which now features Torey Krug and Justin Faulk in prominent roles.
Scandella, 32, is expected to go on long-term injured reserve, giving the Blues relief for his salary cap hit of $3.275 million. Nikko Mikkola already figured to take on a full-time role at 26, and it wasn’t immediately clear if Armstrong might bring in another veteran to compete for a roster spot.
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