Paul Stastny, a seasoned NHL veteran with an impressive career spanning 1,145 games, has announced his retirement from professional hockey. The 37-year-old forward, who had stints with the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Carolina Hurricanes, leaves behind a legacy in the sport.
In the 2022–23 season, Stastny played for the Hurricanes, contributing nine goals and 22 points in 73 games. He further made his mark in the playoffs, scoring four goals in 15 contests as the Hurricanes advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.
Born in Canada as the younger son of former Quebec Nordiques star Peter Stastny, Paul represented the United States in international competition. He notably competed in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, where he played a key role in winning a silver medal for Team USA in Vancouver.
While Stastny never reached the pinnacle of a Stanley Cup Final during his career, he did reach the Conference Final with several teams, including the 2016 Blues, the 2018 Jets, the 2020 Golden Knights, and the 2023 Hurricanes. Throughout his playoff career, he tallied 30 goals and 73 points in 118 games.
Stastny was originally drafted by the Avalanche in the second round (No. 44 overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft, following in the footsteps of his father’s legacy with the team, which had relocated from Quebec City to Denver.
He commenced his NHL journey with the Avalanche in the 2006–07 season after spending two years at the University of Denver. Stastny’s rookie season was nothing short of remarkable, with 28 goals and 78 points, earning him second place in the Calder Trophy balloting behind Evgeni Malkin.
Paul Stastny has decided to retire after 17 NHL seasons. But I suspect it’s not the last we’ve seen of him in hockey. My interview with Stastny for @TheAthletic ⤵️ https://t.co/fxrrL1wS68
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 31, 2023
Following eight successful seasons in Colorado, Stastny signed with the St. Louis Blues in the 2014 offseason. Although he didn’t quite match his previous offensive highs, he found more playoff success with the Blues.
The Blues traded Stastny to the Jets in advance of the 2018 deadline. During that year’s playoffs, he accumulated 15 points in 17 games with the Jets. Subsequently, he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights and played an integral role in their deep playoff run in 2020. Soon after, Vegas traded Stastny back to Winnipeg, where he spent two more seasons.
In total, Stastny leaves the NHL with 293 goals and 822 points over his 17 full seasons in the league. In his retirement, he has expressed an interest in remaining active in the hockey world, possibly exploring opportunities in management rather than coaching.