Long-time NHLer Tomas Plekanec has retired from professional hockey at the age of 40 due to injuries.
Plekanec had played nine games with Rytíři Kladno in the top Czech league – the team Jaromir Jagr owns – while recording one goal and four points.
Since leaving the Montreal Canadiens just three games into 2018-19, he has spent the past six years playing in Czechia, helping Kladno earn promotion to the top league twice. He served as a veteran presence with significant NHL experience while playing alongside Jagr, who still plays on a part-time schedule. To date, Jagr hasn’t skated in a game this season.
Drafted 71st overall in 2001, Plekanec made his NHL debut with the Canadiens in 2003-04 before going full-time in 2005-06. Known for donning a Canadiens-branded turtleneck throughout his career, Plekanec quickly became an effective player, recording 47 points in his rookie season. He followed that up with a nice 69-point campaign in 2007-08 before besting it with a 70-point run in 2009-10. Plekanec didn’t have many injury issues throughout his career, and was able to put up 50-plus points on six occasions.
Plekanec was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the team’s 2018 playoff run, where he registered four points in seven postseason contests. Plekanec had 608 points in 1,001 career games over 15 NHL seasons, as well as 233 points in 313 games in the top Czechia league. Internationally, Plekanec won silver at the 2006 World Championship and bronze in 2011 and 2012.
Plekanec was known for his strong faceoff ability and reliable two-way game. Although his NHL pace slowed down significantly in his final three years, he still found ways to make himself useful at both ends of the ice.
Kladno currently sits 10th in the 14-team league with a 3-5-3-2 record this year.
More must-reads: