The Chicago Blackhawks have not met their expectations this NHL season, despite this not yet being over. Also, meanwhile sitting at the bottom of the Central Division, the team led by Connor Bedard learned of the decision from a multiple-time Stanley Cup champion, who will retire once the season concludes.
Who has finally announced that he will retire from professional sports is Patrick Maroon, after playing 14 seasons in the NHL. The three-time champion made his decision public ahead of the game against St. Louis.
“It’s tough. Sometimes you’ve got to give up everything you know and everything you’ve dreamed of your whole life,” Maroon told Blackhawks analyst Darren Pang prior to Chicago’s game. “I just know it’s time for me and it’s time for my family to go start a new chapter in our lives.“
He also added: “It’s hard to go through things like this, you can’t really process it, but I think it’s best for me and my family to go start a new chapter.”
“To get to have a special moment tonight and be in St. Louis, to have my family come to town … I won a Stanley Cup here and I’m just going to finish this year as every game is going to be my last game,” Maroon also added. “I’m going to play as hard as I can and do everything I can to keep winning hockey (games). It’s all I know … it’s tough.”
Maroon’s great career
Patrick Maroon has had an outstanding career since his arrival in the NHL. Chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth round (No. 161) of the 2007 Draft, Maroon has accumulated 320 points (125 goals, 195 assists) over 839 regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Blues, Lightning, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and finally the Blackhawks. He has also earned 53 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 163 playoff games.
However, his greatest collective successes came with St. Louis and Tampa Bay. In 2019, he won the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career with the Blues, while playing for the Lightning, he achieved the same feat in 2020 and 2021.
Definitely, the NHL is losing one of its greatest exponents in recent years, who leaves behind a legacy in the league and will retire with all the accolades and honors, not only on a team level but also personally.