Kyle Okposo, Stanley Cup Champ, Announces Retirement

Kyle Okposo, a Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers, officially announced his retirement from the NHL on Thursday.

Okposo had considered retiring before last season but decided to give it one more go in an attempt to win the Stanley Cup one more time.

It was a decision which certainly paid off.

“As I reflect on my NHL career, a few things stand out. I always tried to treat people with respect,” Okposo said in a statement.

“That respect was reciprocated throughout my interactions with most people in the hockey world. The relationships I cultivated with different people connected to the game are so important to the fabric of what makes hockey special. …

“I still get butterflies thinking about watching opening night of the season each year. The thing I didn’t know as a kid was all the tireless work done behind the scenes that made it such a privilege to play in the National Hockey League.”

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Okposo, 36, was originally the seventh pick of the 2006 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders — and he stayed on Long Island until the end of the 2015-16 season where he signed a seven-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres.

The forward was named captain of the Sabres in 2023 and remained in that role until asking for a trade at the deadline.

Okposo asked to be traded to the Panthers, a team he thought had the best chance to make  a run at the Stanley Cup.

Again, right decision.

“It was my preferred spot,” Okposo said not long after being acquired by the Panthers at the trade deadline. “The way that they play, I know what they’re hungry with everything that happened last year, that run that they had and how close they became, or how close they came to winning.

”You can just see it in the way that they play, and playing against them, it’s not fun. You know what you’re getting every night and it’s going to be a hard game and you’re going to have to have a few ice baths after and I look forward to joining the group.

“They have all the pieces in place to make a run here. At the end of the day, that’s what i want to do, and that’s what drew me here.”

Okposo ends his career after playing in 1,051 NHL games; he scored 242 goals with 614 points.

In 17 playoff games with the Panthers, Okposo had two points.

When the Panthers won the Stanley Cup, captain Sasha Barkov got it first and handed it to goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Okposo got it third.

“He’s had a long career and he’s worked hard for this moment,” Bobrovsky said. “He deserved it.”

Okposo certainly appreciated the gesture.

“I didn’t need it third or anything, but for them to recognize how long I’ve been around, it’s pretty special,” Okposo said.

“I tried to add something to this group and I hope I did that. It’s just a really special group of guys and they were able to recognize the career I’ve had. It’s pretty cool.”

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UP NEXT FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHERS

• Training Camp, Fort Lauderdale: Starts Thursday
• Florida Panthers Preseason: Sunday-Oct. 5
• Florida Panthers Opening Night/Banner Unveiling: Oct. 8 vs. Bruins (ESPN)