Dion Phaneuf, former Flames star and Maple Leafs captain, retires
3-time all-star known for scoring prowess, punishing hits early in NHL career
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.
"When I got here when I was 19, he was a guy that I looked up to, and I still do today."<br><br>Morgan Rielly spoke about his relationship with former Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf: <a href="https://t.co/UNr7xfxMV7">pic.twitter.com/UNr7xfxMV7</a>
—@Sportsnet
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.
🍁 45 international games played <br>🥇 gold at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldJuniors?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldJuniors</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IIHFWorlds?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IIHFWorlds</a><br>⭐️ twice a media all-star at World Juniors<br>💥 the Double Dion<br><br>Thanks, Dion Phaneuf, for being a part of the Team Canada story, and all the best in retirement. 👏 <a href="https://t.co/06TyjWJlaD">pic.twitter.com/06TyjWJlaD</a>
—@HockeyCanada