A veteran of 1,058 NHL games, Jakub Voracek announced his retirement at the age of 34. The Czech winger had 223 goals and 583 assists for 806 points.
At his best, Voracek was one of the best players in the NHL. What did he do in his career, and why did he retire?
Accolades & Reason for Retirement
Voracek had some solid achievements in his NHL career. He was a two-time member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, finishing with a total of 202 points in 331 contests from 2008-11 and 2021-23. He spent the bulk of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, finishing with 604 points in 727 contests from 2011-21. Twenty-seven of his total 28 playoff points came with the Flyers, as well. He won two playoff series in his career.
In his 2014-15 season, Voracek led the NHL in points right up until the All-Star Break passed. Through his first 48 contests, he had 17 goals and 39 assists for 56 points. In the end, he finished the season tied for fourth in points with 81 and six behind first place.
Internationally with Czechia, Voracek won a gold medal in the 2010 World Championship, won bronze at the 2011 World Championship, and was named Czech Player of the Year in 2014-15. He was the fourth player in the country’s history to reach at least 800 NHL points.
The reason for Voracek’s retirement was simply bad luck. In his 2022-23 season, he suffered a concussion that kept him from playing hockey for the rest of that campaign. At the trade deadline, he and his $8.25 million average annual value contract was traded to the Arizona Coyotes so the Blue Jackets could save a little bit of money. With that deal expiring after the 2023-24 season, it became pretty clear that he wasn’t going to play again — the Coyotes had a habit of doing this sort of thing for injured but not technically retired athletes.
Considering Voracek’s age, the fact that he has $78.9 million in career earnings per CapFriendly, and just how much of a risk it is to try and rebound from a concussion, it makes sense that the veteran chose to end his career. While he probably won’t end up making the Hockey Hall of Fame when all is said and done, he had a fantastic hockey career overall.
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