Kris Versteeg Announces Retirement After 11 NHL Seasons

Versteeg tallied 164 points (68G, 96A) in 294 career games with the Blackhawks and was a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2010, 2015).

Former Chicago Blackhawks forward and Rockford IceHogs captain Kris Versteeg officially retired from professional hockey on Tuesday. Versteeg released a press release via the NHL Players' Association.

In 11 NHL seasons, Versteeg, a 2004 fifth-round pick (134th overall) of the Boston Bruins, recorded 358 points (149G, 209A) in 643 career games. The Lethbridge, Alberta native added 48 points (18G, 30A) in 93 playoff games on his journey to two Stanley Cups.

Versteeg was traded from the Bruins to the Blackhawks on Feb. 3, 2007, in exchange for forward Brandon Bochenski. Versteeg made his NHL debut with the Hawks nine months later against the Calgary Flames.

In his first full NHL campaign in 2008-09, Versteeg was named a Calder Trophy finalist (NHL's best rookie) after tallying 53 points (22G, 31A) in 78 games. Versteeg wound up taking third place behind Anaheim Ducks' forward Bobby Ryan and Columbus Blue Jackets' goaltender Steve Mason.

After helping the Hawks win their first Stanley Cup in 49 years, Versteeg was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 30, 2010, as part of a salary cap dump.

Versteeg spent the next three seasons with the Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Florida Panthers before being re-acquired by the Blackhawks on Nov. 14, 2013. After a second Stanley Cup championship in 2015, Versteeg was traded along with Joakim Nordstrom to the Carolina Hurricanes. He played three more NHL seasons with the Hurricanes (2015-16), the Los Angeles Kings (2015-16), and the Calgary Flames (2016-17, 2017-18).

Versteeg signed a one-year, AHL-level contract with the Blackhawks on Apr. 22, 2019 after spending time overseas between Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League and the Vaxjo Lakers Hockey Club of the Swedish Hockey League. Versteeg was named captain of the IceHogs for the 2019-20 season, but he requested a contract termination after playing just six games with the team.

"What a run it was. A kid from Lethbridge who played on the streets every day, dreaming of playing in the NHL... I want to thank the Chicago Blackhawks' entire organization, from top to bottom, especially including the fans. The 2010 Stanley Cup championship was the highlight of my career," Versteeg said in his official statement.

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