Goaltender Corey Crawford announced his retirement from the NHL on Saturday after 10 seasons, all with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The news comes after Crawford, who joined the New Jersey Devils in the off-season, took an indefinite leave of absence due to personal reasons.
“I have been fortunate to have had a long career playing professional hockey for a living. I wanted to continue my career, but believe I’ve given all I can to the game of hockey, and I have decided that it is time to retire,” Crawford said in a statement. “I would like to thank the New Jersey Devils organization for understanding and supporting my decision. I would like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks organization for giving me the chance to live my childhood dream. I am proud to have been part of winning two Stanley Cups in Chicago.
“Thank you to all of my teammates and coaches throughout the years. Also, thank you to the fans who make this great game what it is. I am happy and excited to move on to the next chapter of my life with my family.”
Selected in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft, Crawford took over full-time goaltending duties for the Blackhawks in the 2010-11 campaign and in 488 career regular-season games posted a 260-162-53 record with a 2.45 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. Over a decade, the Montreal native helped Chicago to a pair of Stanley Cups in 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Crawford wrapped up his career in the Windy City as the franchise’s third-most winningest goaltender and leader in playoff wins with 52.
