Ryan Callahan
Martin St. Louis hangs up the skates after 16-year career
Ryan Callahan

Martin St. Louis hangs up the skates after 16-year career

Published Jul. 2, 2015 2:21 p.m. ET

Martin St. Louis, a seven-time All-Star who scored 391 goals, announced on Thursday he will retire from professional hockey. 

"I have been blessed to play for 16 years in the NHL; it has been an amazing ride," St. Louis said via a press release. "I would like to thank the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers organizations and owners for providing me the opportunity to play the sport I love for so many years.  I could have never played for so long or accomplished all that I have without the unwavering love and support from my wife, Heather, our three sons, Ryan, Lucas, and Mason, and my parents.

"I have had the good fortune of working with some incredible players and trainers throughout my career who I am grateful to also call good friends.  I am also thankful to all of the fans who have supported me through the years; it has meant so much to me. I have dedicated my life to being the best player I could be and now want to turn more of my focus to my three boys.  I look forward to this next chapter of my life and the time I will have with my family."

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St. Louis recorded 1,033 points (391 goals, 642 assists) in 1,134 regular season game during his 16-year NHL career. 

His incredible success was made much sweeter given that he had to work harder than most for his NHL chance, as he was never drafted and was, for a time, an undersized player whom no one wanted.

St. Louis never gave up, however, and decided to prove himself by playing college hockey for at Vermont. He was outstanding in the NCAA and garnered some NHL interest after his junior season in 1996, but he decided to return to college with the hopes of improving his standing with another strong year.

That didn't happen. St. Louis's production dipped from 85 points in 35 games during his junior year at Vermont to 60 points in 36 games in his senior season. St. Louis was also small, standing at just 5-foot-8, and as a result, he did not have many offers from NHL teams. 

He then tried his luck in the International Hockey League and finally caught the attention of the Calgary Flames by recording 50 points in 56 games with his IHL team. St. Louis signed a contract with the Flames in 1998 and broke into the NHL for good in 1999, but when the Flames changed management teams ahead of the 2000 season, Calgary decided to go in a different direction and bought out St. Louis's contract.

The forward chose to sign with Tampa for the 2000-01 season, marking the beginning of what would be an incredible journey in the NHL. St. Louis stayed with Tampa from 2000-2014, winning a Stanley Cup in 2003-04 as well as the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer in 2003-04 and 2012-13. St. Louis also secured the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times for sportsmanship combined with outstanding play. 

St. Louis was one of the most durable players in the NHL for over a decade. He missed seven games between 2002-12. He recorded 100 points in a single season, tallying 102 (43 goals, 59 assists) in 82 games in 2006-07.

He was a six-time All-Star and won the league's most valuable player award, the Hart Memorial Trophy, in 2003-04. He also secured the Lester B. Pearson Award given to the most outstanding player in the league as determined by the players in 2003-04. St. Louis served as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 2013-14 season. 

Outside of the NHL, St. Louis was a two-time Olympian (2006, 2014), and he won gold with Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Games. 

But like anyone, St. Louis's success did not come without difficult times. In 2014, he asked to be traded from the Lightning, and speculation said the trade request was due to his anger with Tampa GM Steve Yzerman for initially leaving St. Louis off the Team Canada Olympic roster. St. Louis was subsequently dealt to the New York Rangers in a captain swap, as the Rangers sent their captain, Ryan Callahan, to the Lightning in exchange for St. Louis.

In May of 2014, St. Louis and the Rangers were in the middle of a playoff run when St. Louis's mother, France, died unexpectedly at 63 years old. St. Louis briefly returned home to be with his family before making the difficult decision to return to his team for Game 5 of their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Game 6 was played on Mother's Day, and it was fitting that St. Louis scored the first goal of a 3-1 win that day to force a Game 7. 




And despite originally being a player nobody wanted, St. Louis was the talk of the NHL on Twitter Thursday as the tributes from across the league poured in. 

While it is never easy to make the decision to retire, St. Louis will have the chance to spend more time with his family, including his three sons: Ryan (12 years old), Lucas (10) and Mason (7). According to the press release, all three boys want to follow in their father's footsteps and play hockey, no matter the odds against them. 

(h/t NHL)

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