Daniel Briere has announced his retirement from the National Hockey League.

Briere, 37, announced his retirement in an article he wrote for Ottawa-Gatineau French language daily Le Droit entitled "J'ai joué mon derneir match" (I have played my final game).

The five-foot-nine centre appeared in 973 career NHL games with the Phoenix Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens, scoring 307 goals and 389 assists.

“After taking a few weeks to think about it, it’s time to hang them up and spend a little more time at home with the family,” Briere said in a statement. “I’ve been very, very fortunate to have a chance to play with some great organizations, but at this point the family becomes a priority." 

Originally selected 24th overall by the Coyotes in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. Phoenix traded him to the Sabres in 2003 as part of the package to acquire forward Chris Gratton. He left the Sabres as a free agent in the summer of 2007 after registering a career-high 95 points.

He signed an eight-year, $52 million deal with the Flyers, but was bought out six years into the deal. He finished his career with one-year stints with the Canadiens and Avalanche, respectively.

A two-time All-Star, Briere never won the Stanley Cup. He led the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs in scoring, registering 30 points in 23 games, but the Flyers fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Final. 

Briere represented Canada internationally on numerous occasions, winning Under-18 and World Junior gold in addition to a pair of IIHF World Championships.