Former NHL forward Zack Kassian has announced his retirement after 12 seasons.
The 32-year-old forward played 661 regular-season games for the Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes, amassing 203 points (92 goals, 111 assists) and 913 penalty minutes.
“To play in the NHL is one thing, but to make a 12-year career of it is pretty special,” Kassian said in a statement. “From coaches to equipment staff and fellow players I’ve met along the way, I’ve made so many relationships that are going to last a lifetime.”
The native of Windsor, Ont., was selected in the first round (13th overall) by the Sabres in the 2009 NHL Draft, but was traded to Vancouver during his rookie season (2011-12) in exchange for fellow first-rounder Cody Hodgson.
The 6-3, 211-pound winger spent four seasons with the Canucks before being dealt to Montreal in 2015.
His short stint with the Canadiens was marked by a motor vehicle collision and an entry into a substance abuse program, and he never played a game for the team.
The Canadiens waived Kassian and later traded him to Edmonton, where he spent seven seasons and turned his career around.
His most productive season was 2019-20 when he scored 15 goals and 19 assists. The Oilers rewarded the winger with a four-year, $12.8 million contract extension.
He finished his career in Arizona where he played 51 games last season, notching two goals.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.