After Chris Osgood, Kris Draper set to announce retirement from Detroit Red Wings –NHL Update
It has been only a week since veteran goalie, Chris Osgood, announced his retirement from Detroit Red Wings as their backup goalie to Jimmy Howard, now, according to latest reports, 40-year-old centre, Kris Draper, is also ready to call it quits and along
with Red Wings management has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday, July 26, at 11 a.m. at the Joe Louis Arena.
Osgood is not the only player to have retired recently, defenseman Brian Rafalski shocked the hockey world after a 48 point (4 goals, 44 assists) season, his fourth consecutive with Detroit, at the age of 37 in May. The Dearborn, Missouri, United States
native, still had a year left on his contract but felt going early would be the best way to end a colourful season.
Now, it looks like Draper is following the same model, but according to most hockey fanatics, it is probably the best time to retire.
Kris Draper, a 62nd overall pick during round-three of the 1989 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by the then Winnipeg Jets, has played 20 seasons in the major league so far. 17 of those seasons have been spent with Detroit Red Wings, in
which he has not missed a single postseason yet and boasts four Stanley Cup championships under his belt.
It might be over for the Toronto, Ontario, Canada native, but Detroit remains his home.
"Detroit is home", Draper told the Detroit News last week.
Draper boasts a 1,157 games played record in which he has recorded a total of 364 points (161 goals, 203 assists), but last season, he managed to only participated in 47 games and scored a mere 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists).
No doubt, Detroit is an aging team, and the need for recruiting fresh faces onto the Western Conference franchise has become very important.
Although the retirement of players like Draper and Osgood brings sadness throughout the league and hockey world, where so many fans have grown up watching such players, opportunities are opened for the younger players, who also aspire to become like their
role models one day, if given the chance.
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