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Longtime NHLer and Former 20-Goal Scorer Announces His Retirement

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 12:28 PM ET

Sergei Kostitsyn played in 353 NHL games in his NHL career, and after a long stint overseas, the veteran has now announced his retirement from hockey after three final years playing in his home country.

The NHL has seen many interesting characters come and go over the years, but in a short time, none wowed fans and also made them scratch their heads more than Belarusian forward Sergei Kostitsyn, who spent time with Nashville and Montreal before departing for Europe.

The now 38-year old has not played in the NHL since way back in 2012/13 with the Nashville Predators, but according to reports, he has now officially announced his retirement from the game of hockey.

In 353 games between the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens, Kostitsyn tallied 67 goals and 179 points, but given some of his antics both on and off the ice, he's a player that will be remembered from fans of that era for a long, long time to come.

The following is just one of those examples, where the talented forward simply decided to give up on the backcheck, allowing the Edmonton Oilers a simple 2-on-1 to finish off a breakaway goal.

For the past three years, Kostitsyn has been playing in his home country of Belarus, but after so many year on the ice, his career has now officially come to an end, with some very solid years under his belt.

Ultimately, as a former seventh-round pick, Kostitsyn achieved more than many drafted at that point, and while he couldn't manage a lengthy NHL career, he's been fantastic overseas for quite some time, and now we await what he does post-retirement.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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