Chicago Blackhawks forward Pat Maroon has announced he will retire at the end of the current NHL season.
In an emotional announcement to Darren Pang on the Chicago Sports Network, Maroon shared his decision ahead of his 840th career game on Saturday in his hometown of St. Louis against the Blues.
“Sometimes you have to let go of everything you know and everything you`ve dreamed of your whole life,” Maroon stated. “I just know it`s time for my family to begin a new chapter in our lives.”
Maroon has amassed 320 points, including 125 goals and 195 assists, along with 1,071 penalty minutes throughout his 14 seasons in the NHL. He has played for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and Blackhawks.
His career highlight is undoubtedly winning the Stanley Cup in three consecutive seasons. He first won with the Blues in 2019 and then secured back-to-back championships with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
During the 2016-17 season with the Oilers, Maroon achieved a career-best of 27 goals and 42 points.
This season, at 36 years old, he has recorded 16 points (four goals and 12 assists) and 81 penalty minutes in 59 games.
“It’s tough,” Maroon admitted. “It’s hard to process these things. You can’t really process it, but I think it’s special for me and my family to start a new chapter.”
The Blackhawks, with a record of 20-40-9, were recently eliminated from playoff contention on Thursday. Chicago`s last home game is scheduled for April 12 against Winnipeg, and they will conclude the regular season on April 15 in Ottawa.
