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Patrik Elias retires, to take one last skate with Devils

mackenzie liddell
New Jersey Devils legend Patrik Elias announced his retirement on Friday. (Julio Cortez/AP)
New Jersey Devils legend Patrik Elias announced his retirement on Friday. (Julio Cortez/AP)

Patrik Elias decided to call it a career on Friday, marking the end of an era for the New Jersey Devils.

The 40-year-old spent his entire 20-year career with the Devils, winning two Stanley Cups and walking away as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

He will become the fifth Devil to have his number raised to the rafters next season, joining Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens.

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Devils fans will have the chance to see him lace up the skates one more time at Prudential Center, as he will take the pre-game skate in New Jersey’s home finale next Saturday.

A knee injury limited Elias to only 16 games last season, but he was considering making a comeback as recently as January before ultimately deciding he didn’t have it in him.

From NHL.com:

“The reason was I wasn’t sure if I would be able to physically and, second of all, I probably wouldn’t be able to play to the level I wanted to,” he said. “I enjoyed being out there, I enjoyed going through practice and doing the work itself, but kind of didn’t see myself anymore going to the morning skates and evening games and traveling and all that.

“And once you don’t have it in your heart and start doubting if you do have it or not, I think that’s the time to sit back and just be honest if it’s worth it.”

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Elias, who led the team in scoring eight times, scored 408 goals and 1,025 points over 1,240 regular-season games after being a second-round pick in 1994. He added another 45 goals and 125 points over 162 playoff games, as the Devils qualified for the playoffs in 14 of Elias’s 20 years with the team.

Despite not winning an individual trophy, Elias was a model of consistency and one of his era’s best two-way players. Whether or not that’s good enough to carve out a spot in the Hall of Fame is another question for another day.

But for now, it’s time to reflect back on Elias’s under appreciated career, and thanks to this mesmerizing GIF, his various hair styles.