On Friday afternoon, long-time NHL forward Mathieu Perrault announced his retirement from the NHL, putting an end to a 13-year career.
Perreault, 34, was a very effective and underrated scorer during his time throughout the league, though his career was ravaged with injuries. Throughout his 13-season NHL career, he appeared in more than 70 games just three times, and only managed to play a full 82-game schedule on one occasion in 2018-19.
Perrault twice scored 18 goals, a career high, in back-to-back seasons between 2013 and 2015. He likely would have cracked 20 in each season, as he was limited to 69 and 62 games. Meanwhile, his career high of 45 points came during the 2016-17 season, one in which he again suffered from injuries and was limited to 65 games.
In total, Perrault logged 708 career regular season games, and also suited up for an additional 51 playoff contests. His career began with the Washington Capitals, who selected him in the sixth-round (177 overall) of the 2006 draft. He went on to play a total of 159 games in a Caps jersey before joining the Anaheim Ducks for the 2013-14 season. He spent just one lone season there before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets, whom he went on to play 455 games with. This past season, he joined the Montreal Canadiens, but was limited to just 25 games due to injury as well as being healthy scratched on numerous occasions.
For many athletes, figuring out what to do post-career can be a serious struggle and play tolls on one’s mental health. Thankfully, that doesn’t appear to be a pending issue for Perreault, who already has a gig lined up as a broadcaster for TVA Sports this upcoming season.
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