Dan Boyle officially announces retirement
Dan Boyle has officially announced his retirement after 17 seasons split between four NHL teams.
The defenseman made the announcement Wednesday in San Jose, where he played six seasons with the Sharks, and where he and his family will now call home.
The announcement was highlighted by kind words from Sharks general manager Doug Wilson, and calls from coaches John Tortorella and Craig Ramsay, along retired winger Martin St. Louis, all of whom were part of Tampa Bay's 2004 Stanley Cup run.
"Dan's statistics and his accomplishments speak for themselves and we congratulate him on a remarkable career," said Wilson. "As an undrafted player, he was consistently told that he wouldn't play in the NHL but his determination and passion for the game proved many people wrong. Those traits, along with hard work, helped him become one of the league's best defensemen over the last 25 years."
"I don't think you've ever received enough credit for what a fierce competitor you were. You were the engine of our team." - John Tortorella
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 5, 2016
Boyle's Sharks' career saw him play 431 of his 1,093 regular-season games - his most with any team - eclipsing the 394 with the Lightning.
Boyle also spent time with the Florida Panthers early in his career after being signed as a free agent out of the Miami University (Ohio), and with New York Rangers, where he capped his career.
His accomplishments are detailed below by his alma mater:
Dan Boyle, one of our all-time greats, retires after 17 NHL seasons. A look at his accomplished career. #ProHawks #RiseUpRedHawks pic.twitter.com/aKYxvKANov
— The Brotherhood (@MiamiOH_Hockey) October 5, 2016