Marian Gaborik officially retired from the National Hockey League on Thursday, more than three years after playing his final game.
He last played for the Ottawa Senators in March 2018 before having surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back.
The No. 3 overall draft pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2000, he scored the first goal in Wild history on Oct. 6, 2000, at age 18.
“It’s been a great honour and privilege to play in the best league in the world @nhl since I was 18 years old,” Gaborik, 39, wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. “The journey has been nothing short from spectacular, amazing and unbelievable. Many times, it’s been a roller coaster, but I always found the way back.”
— Marian Gaborik (@MGaborik12) November 4, 2021
Gaborik appeared in 1,035 games with the Minnesota Wild (2000-09), New York Rangers (2009-13), Columbus Blue Jackets (2013-14), Los Angeles Kings (2014-18) and Senators (2018). The Slovakia native had 815 points (407 goals, 408 assists) and 492 penalty minutes.
Among his career highlights, Gaborik was named MVP of the 2012 All-Star Game and won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014. He topped 40 goals in three seasons, including in 2009-10 when he tallied 42 goals and 44 assists for the New York Rangers.
–Field Level Media
