Former NHLer Pavel Datsyuk has officially retired from professional hockey

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Cooper Godin
June 26, 2024 (1:05 PM)

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Long-time Detroit Red Wings forward and 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Pavel Datsyuk is calling time on his professional hockey career.

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 confirmed the news to Russian media outlet MatchTV on Wednesday, one day after it was announced he'll be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November as part of the Class of 2024.

Note: the following is translated from Russian.

"The fact that I did not announce my retirement was a coincidence. I wanted to play more, I thought I would. But he didn't play because he couldn't fool himself. I had no fire in my eyes. Yes, there may have been strength, but the fire went away. Such childhood admiration has gone away from hockey. I didn't just deceive myself," Datsyuk said.

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.

He spent the last five years of his career in the KHL in Russia with SKA St. Petersburg and Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg before he stopped playing in 2021.

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.

It's only a matter of time before the Detroit Red Wings honour the legendary forward as well and it'll be interesting to see if they'll end up retiring his number 13 down the road.

Source: MatchTV.ru
MEMBER OF THE TRIPLE GOLD CLUB PAVEL DATSYUK ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT