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David Legwand announces retirement from NHL

Josh Cooper
BUFFALO, NY - APRIL 08: David Legwand #17 of the Buffalo Sabres heads to the ice before playing the Columbus Blue Jackets in an NHL game on April 8, 2016 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)
David Legwand #17 of the Buffalo Sabres heads to the ice before playing the Columbus Blue Jackets in an NHL game on April 8, 2016 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

David Legwand, the first draft pick in the history of the Nashville Predators, officially announced his retirement from the NHL.

The 36-year-old Legwand decided to call it a career after 1,136 career NHL games with the Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres. He scored 228 goals and notched 390 assists. Legwand also scored the first game-deciding overtime penalty shot goal, on Dec. 23, 2000 at the New York Rangers.

“What a great ride this was, especially having the chance to play nearly 1,000 games for my drafting club in Nashville, and seeing the growth of the game there; to fulfilling a dream of playing for my hometown Red Wings; to experiencing the positive vibe of playing in Canada’s capital of Ottawa; and to end with the talented players of the Buffalo Sabres in my final season,” Legwand said in a statement provided by the NHLPA.

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Legwand, who was traded by the Predators to the Red Wings in 2014, is still Nashville’s leader in goals (210), assists (356), points (566) and games played (956). Nashville selected Legwand with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 NHL Draft, one spot behind former Tampa Bay Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier, who also retired recently.

There was often a feeling of untapped potential around Legwand, who was a big-time scorer in junior with the Plymouth Whalers, but never seemed to hit high levels in the NHL. His best season came in 2006-07 with Nashville, where he notched 63 points in 78 games and scored 27 goals and came in 12th in Selke Trophy voting. That was just one of two seasons of 20-or-more goals for Legwand.

But he was often a durable and dependable two-way player for the Predators, averaging 0.59 points per-game with the organization.

In his last three postseasons with Nashville from 2009-10 through 2011-12, Legwand had 22 points in 28 games played.

He struggled in his last two years in the NHL with a combined 41 points in 159 games between the Ottawa Senators, where he signed in the 2014 offseason, and Buffalo Sabres, to where he was traded in the 2015 offseason. Legwand was an unrestricted free agent this past summer.

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“I have to give credit for the success in my career to others,” Legwand said. “I had great teammates who became friends; coaches and general managers who believed in me; trainers, doctors and therapists who kept me healthy; and I received sage advice and friendship from my longtime agent Pat Morris and his staff at Newport Sports. Finally, I would like to give a special thanks to my mom and dad, sister, and my wife Lindsey and our kids Ella and Ryder, who sacrificed so much for my opportunities.”

Legwand currently resides in Harrison Township, Michigan and is a co-owner of the Sarnia Sting in the OHL, along with fellow former player Derian Hatcher.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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