Kevin Shattenkirk, whose 14 NHL seasons included two with the New York Rangers, announced his retirement on Tuesday.
“After 14 amazing years in the National Hockey League, I have decided to retire,” Shattenkirk said in a statement posted on social media. “I never knew hockey would take me this far. This game has had a dramatic impact in developing me into the man I am today.”
The 35-year-old native of New Rochelle, New York, about 15 miles from Madison Square Garden, signed a four-year, $26.6 million contract with the Rangers on July 1, 2017, and played two seasons with the team he grew up rooting for. However, he was hampered by a knee injury in 2017-18 and saw his ice time drop from 20:16 in his first season to 18:56 in his second.
With the Rangers looking to rebuild with youth after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs in back-to-back seasons, Shattenkirk was bought out and signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Aug. 5, 2019.
His game perked up in Tampa Bay, where he thrived in a less-demanding role, and his performance helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2020 — he had three goals and 13 points in 25 postseason games, averaging 19:30 of ice time.
Shattenkirk then signed as a free agent with Anaheim prior to the 2020-21 season and played three seasons with the Ducks before joining the Boston Bruins on July 1, 2023. He had 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 61 regular-season games and one assist in six playoff games for the Bruins, who were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the second round.
He finished his career with 484 points (103 goals, 381 assists) in 952 regular-season games and 48 points (8 goals, 40 assists) in 91 playoff games. Shattenkirk also represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics, finishing with three assists as the U.S. came in fourth.
“I can proudly say that I have accomplished most of my career goals,” Shattenkirk said after announcing his retirement. “I scored big goals, including a Stanley Cup Final overtime goal, played in All-Star games, represented my country in the Olympics, and won a Stanley Cup! What makes me even prouder when I reflect back on my career are the countless friendships that I have made along the way. … Thank you to all my teammates, it was an honor to play with all of you.”
The Colorado Avalanche selected Shattenkirk with the 14th pick in the 2007 NHL Draft; two years later, he helped Boston University win an NCAA title. He turned pro with the Avs in October 2010 and played for Colorado, the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals before coming to the Rangers.
He told the media when he signed with New York that he knew all about the pressure of playing for his hometown team, and that he had turned down a bigger offer to call Madison Square Garden his home arena.
“When you have the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream, it’s an opportunity that may only come once in my career and I felt like this was my chance,” Shattenkirk said. “It’s a team I’m extremely excited about. A lot of factors outside of money and terms came into play and ultimately won the decision for me.”
The Rangers had high hopes that Shattenkirk, regarded as the best defenseman available in the 2017 free-agent class, would be a top-pair D-man, but that never materialized. He missed most of his first season with injuries and struggled in the second, finishing with 28 points (2 goals, 26 assists) in 73 games.
With the rebuilding Rangers looking to clear cap space in the summer of 2019 after signing free agent forward Artemi Panarin and recently acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba — Shattenkirk was bought out. He finished his tenure in New York with 51 points (7 goals, 44 assists) in 119 games.
To say he wasn’t happy about leaving would have been an understatement.
“I was pretty pissed off about it,” Shattenkirk said of the Rangers’ decision to buy out his contract, according to The Associated Press. “It didn’t work out with injuries and performance and with the way the direction of the team, the way that kind of deteriorated from when I signed on July 1 to now.
“I think I’m pissed off at myself for not taking advantage of the opportunity to play at home better and give them a reason to make it a no-brainer that this wouldn’t be their decision.”
Much of his responsibility on the blue line was taken over by Trouba, who had been acquired earlier that summer from the Winnipeg Jets; ironically, the Rangers traded Trouba, who had been named captain before the 2022-23 season, to the Ducks on Dec. 6 – largely for cap reasons.
