Okposo retires a Stanley Cup champion after 17 seasons

Kyle Okposo is ending his playing career a Stanley Cup champion.

The veteran forward officially announced his retirement from the NHL on Thursday after 17 seasons in the league, split between the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and, most recently, the Florida Panthers.

"Thirty years of playing hockey was incredible," Okposo wrote in a statement. "It brought me to some amazing places and provided such unique experiences. I believe the game is in a great place right now, but the possibilities are vast. I'm looking forward to continuing to contribute to the game as it reaches new heights."

Okposo racked up 242 goals, 614 points, 554 penalty minutes, and 953 hits in 1,051 career NHL games. He began his tenure with the Islanders, who selected him with the seventh overall pick at the 2006 NHL Draft.

A four-time 20-goal scorer, Okposo enjoyed his best statistical seasons in Long Island, including a 69-point effort in 2013-14. His nine-season run with the Islanders ended during the 2016 offseason, when he signed a seven-year, $42-million deal with the Buffalo Sabres as an unrestricted free agent.

Okposo was the Sabres' representative at the 2017 All-Star Game. Buffalo named him the 20th captain in franchise history ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Sabres never made the playoffs during Okposo's eight seasons in Buffalo, and the franchise traded him to the Panthers at the 2024 deadline in exchange for defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional seventh-round pick.

Okposo appeared in six regular-season games for the Panthers before getting into 17 playoff contests, including Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. He chipped in with two assists during his first taste of postseason action since 2016.

The 36-year-old was the third Panthers player to lift the Cup after captain Aleksander Barkov and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

"I learned from the veterans when I was young, and I tried to take what I saw in those special men and forge my own path to help guide the next generation of players," Okposo said. "Thank you to all my teammates for the lessons you taught me every day."

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