Despite not playing professional hockey for the last three seasons, Datsyuk was holding out hope that he'd be able to return one day, but on Wednesday, he decided that it was time to officially retire.
Datsyuk, 45, was a sixth-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 1998 and ended his career as one of the best players in franchise history. The Sverdlovsk native spent his entire 14-year career with the Detroit Red Wings, recording 918 points in 953 regular season games, 113 points in 157 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and won the Stanley Cup twice.
The Magic Man's accolades speak for themself - 2x Stanley Cup champion, 2018 Olympic gold medalist, 2012 IIHF World Championship gold medalist, 2017 Gagarin Cup champion, 4x NHL All-Star, 3x Selke Trophy, 4x Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. In 2017, Datsyuk was named one to the '100 Greatest NHL Players' list and now, will see his name enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto later this year.