Veteran Forward Kris Draper announces retirement at 40 –NHL offseason Update
After news broke out a day earlier about Detroit Red Wings' veteran forward, Kris Draper, that he was expected to announce his retirement in the coming days, he finally addressed the media on Tuesday, July 26, and finalised his plan to call it quits during
a press conference at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
At the age of 40, playing the centre position in one of the best teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) was slowly becoming more and more difficult for Draper, who has played more than 20 seasons and won four Stanley Cup championships.
Spending 17 seasons with Detroit Red Wings alone, the 62nd overall pick during round-three of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by Winnipeg Jets, gradually faced a decline in performance during his last four seasons on the ice.
Having played 1,157 games up until now and boasting a record of 364 points (161 goals, 203 assists), Draper is expected to remain with the Detroit organization in a management position, which as of yet is undecided.
It was certainly an emotional moment for the Toronto, Ontario, Canada native, who likes to refer to Detroit as his real home now.
"I loved everything about the game and everything about the Red Wings", Draper said during the press conference. "And that's why I'm going to miss it so much".
Detroit Red Wings' general manager, Ken Holland, was also by Draper’s side and was all praises for him.
"Kris Draper has represented the Detroit Red Wings with nothing but class and dedication for the last 17 years", said Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland. "His extraordinary work ethic has provided a great example for all players within our organization
and his influence on the young players in our system will be felt for years to come. I cannot thank Kris enough for all he has done for us. He is a true professional".
Nearly a week after losing veteran goalkeeper, Chris Osgood, Detroit has faced another loss of experienced players that have provided the Western Conference team with a tremendous amount of experience.
Detroit will certainly look for fresh faces to fill in the gap left by Draper, which will certainly not be an easy task.
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