Ladd retires from NHL after 16 seasons

Andrew Ladd retired from the NHL on Sunday after 16 seasons.

The 37-year-old forward leaves a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes, his rookie season, and 2010 Chicago Blackhawks. He was named captain of the Atlanta Thrashers on Nov. 18, 2010, and retained the role when the franchise relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season.

"The time has come for my next chapter," Ladd wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "When I was a kid, I never thought I had a chance to make a living playing hockey. There was my love for the game. I loved being a part of a team, I loved competing. I loved the next chance to win. I loved the challenge. I loved the escape of immersing myself in the moment. I loved the feeling of belonging. I loved the confidence it gave me. I loved to prove people wrong."

Ladd last played in the NHL in 2021-22, when he had 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 51 games for the Arizona Coyotes. He tore his ACL skating for the New York Islanders in a 2-0 win against the Coyotes on March 24, 2019, and went on long-term injured reserve prior to last season after failing a physical.

Chosen by the Hurricanes with the No. 4 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, Ladd had 550 points (256 goals, 294 assists) in 1,001 NHL games for the Hurricanes, Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Blackhawks, Islanders and Coyotes, and 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 65 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He became the 370th skater to play 1,000 NHL games and 15th in Coyotes/Jets history April 22, 2022, when he had one shot on goal in 17:38 of ice time in a 2-0 loss to the Washington Capitals at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

"As I reflect on the journey, the 1,001 games, the two Stanley Cups, the opportunity to captain a Canadian city, what I'm most grateful for is the people," Ladd wrote. "My parents for their sacrifice, the core values they instilled in me, and the love shown through compassion or a challenge. I'll forever be grateful for how the game shaped me as a person and the people it brought into my life!"

Ladd signed a seven-year contract with the Islanders on July 1, 2016. He scored 23 goals in his first season with New York (2016-17) and had 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 73 games in 2017-18, but was limited to 55 games for the rest of his NHL career after the 2018-19 season. Ladd was traded to the Coyotes by the Islanders with a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and conditional picks in the 2022 and 2023 NHL Draft for future considerations July 17, 2021.