Olli Jokinen announces retirement from hockey

Forward Olli Jokinen will sign an honorary contract with the Florida Panthers and announce his retirement from professional hockey Tuesday.
The Panthers will honor Jokinen's accomplishments during the second period of their game against the New York Rangers at BB&T Center (7:30 p.m. ET; FS-F, MSG, NHL.TV).

"My heart has always been with the Panthers organization and now I feel like my career has come full circle," Jokinen told the Panthers website. "I am extremely grateful that I had the chance to play hockey in South Florida and help the sport grow. I want to thank my family -- my wife Katerina and my daughters Alexandra, Emma and Keira -- and all of the fans, teammates, coaches and staff who have supported me throughout my career."

Jokinen, 38, played seven seasons for Florida (2000-08) and was captain from 2003-08. He is first in Panthers history in points (419), goals (188), game-winning goals (36), overtime goals (10), power-play points (153) and shots (1,837).
"Olli is an important player in the history of the Panthers franchise and he remains a fan favorite," Panthers president of hockey operations Dale Tallon said. "We are proud to give Olli the opportunity to retire as a Panther and we congratulate him on a long, successful and productive National Hockey League career."
Selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the No. 3 pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, Jokinen retires with 750 points (321 goals, 429 assists) in 1,231 NHL games with 10 teams. He last played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues in 2014-15.
Jokinen lives in Florida, and formed the South Florida Hockey Academy in 2016, along with former Panthers teammates Tomas Vokoun and Radek Dvorak.