Goaltender Jaroslav Halak officially announced his retirement from the NHL on Friday after 17 seasons, more than two years since he last played a game.
At 40 years old, Halak’s final game was on April 13, 2023, with the New York Rangers. He later joined the Carolina Hurricanes for a professional tryout at the start of the 2023-24 season but was let go before playing in any games.
“Last year, I finished my summer training… but when nothing came of it, I thought it was pointless. After that, I stopped trying,” Halak shared with Slovakia’s Dennik Sport in a translation. “I’m officially retiring. I want to thank my family, friends, fans, and especially my wife Petra, who has supported me throughout my career.”
Halak is a two-time winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy for being part of the team that allowed the fewest goals in a season. He holds a record of 295 wins, 189 losses, and 69 ties with 53 shutouts, along with a goals-against average of 2.50 and a save percentage of .915 over 581 career games (with 555 starts). Throughout his career, he played for teams including the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, and Rangers.
“It’s been two years now, and I’ve come to accept that I won’t reach 300 wins,” Halak said. “Looking back at my career, it’s been great. It would have been better with 300 wins, but I’m content with 295.”
Halak also represented Slovakia in the Olympics in both 2010 and 2014 and led Team Europe to the championship game at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
