Former Edmonton Oilers defenceman Ryan Whitney announced on Twitter Sunday that he has decided to retire from professional hockey.
The 32-year-old last played in the NHL during the 2013-14 season as a member of the Florida Panthers. Whitney played with HC Sochi in the Kontinental Hockey League last season.
Whitney spent parts of four seasons in Edmonton after being acquired at the 2010 trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky and a sixth-round pick. His tenure in Edmonton started well, with the defenceman recording 11 points in his first 19 games to finish the 2009-10 season. He picked up where he left off the following season with 27 points in Edmonton’s first 35 games before being shut down for the year due to an ankle injury. Whitney never fully recovered after that and eventually parted ways with the Oilers following the conclusion of the lockout-shortened season.
The fifth-overall pick by Pittsburgh in the 2002 NHL draft, Whitney thrived with the Penguins early in his career, reaching career bests in goals (14), points (59) and games played (81) in 2006-07 — only his second year in the league. The Boston native also won a silver medal with the United States at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
In 481 NHL regular-season games, Whitney finished with 50 goals, 209 assists and 383 penalty minutes.