Daniel Carcillo announces retirement in moving tribute to Steve Montador

Daniel Carcillo's final act as a National Hockey League player was to pay tribute to the late Steve Montador, with a view to helping others find their way when their playing days are over.

The 30-year-old announced his retirement from professional hockey Thursday, weeks after taking the Stanley Cup - which he had won for a second time as a member of the 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks - to a golf course in honor of Montador, who was was found dead at his home this past February.

In an article for the Players' Tribune, Carcillo writes how he and Montador used to golf after practice as a means of relieving the stress of being a pro hockey player. It was a also a setting wherein the pair could talk about the things they wanted to do when their careers were over.

"The future seemed to be right in front of us," Carcillo wrote. "We just weren’t quite sure what to do with it."

After winning the Cup this past spring, and in light of Montador's passing, Carcillo found a new sense of purpose.

"When we won the Stanley Cup and I was still lying awake at night thinking about how to carry on Monty’s legacy, it felt like it was a sign that it’s time to close one chapter and open another one," he wrote.

"Today, I'm retiring from the National Hockey League. My immediate goal is to help athletes transition to the next phase of their life - whether it’s continuing education, finding internships with companies, or networking with other athletes who are dealing with the same issues. My mission is to help guys who are dealing with anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about their future. Not down the line, not next week, but right now."

Carcillo, a third-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003, finishes his career with 48 goals, 52 assists, 1,233 penalty minutes and two Stanley Cup rings.