Recently, Little did an interview with Guelph Today where he discussed what he's been doing since his career-ending injury and in the article, said that he will officially retire from the National Hockey League when his contract expires, which is June 30th.
The 36-year-old hasn't played in the NHL since early in the 2019-20 season when he took a Nikolaj Ehlers slapshot to the side of the head, leaving him with a perforated ear drum and a concussion. Little said that there were days where he felt fine and wanted to return, but after consulting with multiple specialists, none of them recommended that he returns to a contact sport.
Little was selected 12th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers and joined them ahead of the 2007-08 season following an incredible junior career with the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts, who retired his number back in 2020.
In 843 career games with the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets, Little had 521 points (217 goals, 304 assists), 293 penalty minutes and was a minus-15. He added 12 points in 27 Stanley Cup Playoff games which included a trip to the Western Conference Final in 2017.
