Former Storm captain Ryan Callahan announces NHL retirement
Ryan Callahan announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday after 13 seasons. Selected by the Storm in the 15th round of the 2001 OHL Priority Selection, Callahan would play 4 seasons with the Storm recording 130 goals and 107 assists in 249 games. He won an OHL Championship with the Storm in 2004 and was named one of the Storm’s All- Time Top 25 Players in Franchise History.
The forward, selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round (No. 127) of the 2004 NHL Draft, scored 386 points (186 goals, 200 assists) in 757 games with the Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, and 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists) in 121 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“Let’s make it official,” Callahan said in a tweet. “I did not play last year due to a back injury, but I am officially announcing my retirement from the NHL. Reflecting on my career, it’s hard to wrap my head around how lucky and grateful I am for being able to live out my childhood dream for 13 amazing years.”
The 35-year-old scored at least 22 goals four times, including an NHL career-high 29 with New York in 2011-12. He was captain of the Rangers from Sept. 12, 2011, until March 5, 2014, when he was traded to the Lightning as part of a deal for forward Martin St. Louis.
