Dan Hamhuis retired Thursday after 16 NHL seasons.
The 37-year-old defenseman had eight assists in 60 games with the Nashville Predators this season. He did not play in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, when the Predators lost in four games to the Arizona Coyotes in a best-of-5 series.
"I'm happily going into a retirement now from hockey," Hamhuis told TSN 1050. "I feel real at peace with it. In March when the season closed down (due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus), we didn't even have a year-end party or anything, we just kind of scattered. I was like, 'Well, if that's it, that's it.' I was at peace with it then."
Selected by Nashville in the first round (No. 12) of the 2001 NHL Draft, Hamhuis scored 356 points (59 goals, 297 assists) and was plus-72 in 1,148 games with the Predators, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars. He scored 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) in 68 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"It's been unbelievable. I feel very fortunate to have played for the three organizations that I have," Hamhuis said. "Couldn't have asked for better places to play, but I think the thing I'll look back on most is just all those relationships and friendships that you make over the years."
Hamhuis, who said he is going to spend time with his wife and three daughters, is hoping to stay involved in hockey.
"I love the mentoring, coaching side of things," he said. "I think that maybe one day I would get back into that, I would certainly want to keep my ties in hockey because I really enjoyed that part of the game."
