After a career that spanned 17 seasons with five teams, defenceman Bret Hedican announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday.
The veteran blueliner, who won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, leaves the game after compiling 55 goals and 294 points. He played in 1,039 games, and became the 14th American-born defenceman to appear in 1,000 NHL contests.
"I'm proud to have played this game for as long as I have and I'm leaving with no regrets," said Hedican in a statement. "I want to thank all of the general managers who believed in me, the coaches who got the best out of me and all of my teammates who made me a better hockey player."
A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Hedican was a 10th round choice of the St. Louis Blues in the 1988 draft. He also skated for Vancouver, Florida, the Hurricanes, and Anaheim. The 39-year old was twice selected to play for Team USA at the Olympics, in 1992 and 2006.