Hockey

Dion Phaneuf, former Flames star and Maple Leafs captain, retires

Dion Phaneuf, a former Calgary Flames star defenceman and Toronto Maple Leafs captain, officially announced his retirement Tuesday after 14 NHL seasons.

3-time all-star known for scoring prowess, punishing hits early in NHL career

Dion Phaneuf, the defenceman known for his scoring prowess and thunderous hits early in his NHL career, is retiring after 14 seasons. The Edmonton native also played for Toronto, Ottawa and Los Angeles, appearing in 1,103 games. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images/File)

Dion Phaneuf, a former Calgary Flames star defenceman and Toronto Maple Leafs captain, officially announced his retirement Tuesday.

Phaneuf's announcement ends a career that spanned 14 NHL seasons. He hadn't played since appearing in 67 games with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2018-19 season.

"As I look back, it's hard to encapsulate and thank the great number of people who supported and guided me both as a player and a person throughout my career," Phaneuf said in a statement. "I was very fortunate to play in the NHL for a long time."

The Edmonton native was selected ninth overall by Calgary in the 2003 NHL draft, and was named to the league's all-rookie team in 2005-06 when he put up 20 goals and 29 assists in 82 games. He finished third in Calder Trophy voting for the NHL's rookie of the year.

He became a star in Calgary, known for scoring prowess from the blue-line as well as dishing out punishing hits. He was named an NHL first-team all-star in 2007-08, when he had a career-high 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) and had a plus-12 defensive rating.

Phaneuf was dealt to the Maple Leafs on Jan. 31, 2010, in a seven-player deal. He was named captain before the 2010-11 season and held the position until he was traded to the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 9, 2016.

A three-time all-star Phaneuf had 137 goals and 494 points in 1,048 regular-season games with Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Los Angeles. In 55 playoff contests, he added 21 points.

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