Longtime Detroit winger Darren McCarty retires
Darren McCarty, a veteran of 15 NHL seasons who won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, officially announced his retirement Monday.
The 37-year-old McCarty spent 13 seasons with the Red Wings. He appeared in 758 games overall, recording 127 goals, 288 points and 1,477 penalty minutes. He scored the Cup-winning goal in the 1997 finals against Philadelphia to end Detroit's 42-year title drought. He also helped the Red Wings hoist the Cup in 1998, 2002 and '08.
``I'm very proud to have played for as long as I did, with so many great teammates and to have been a part of all those strong teams, especially the four Stanley Cup-winning teams in Detroit,'' McCarty said in a statement released by the NHL players' association. ``Playing with and against the best players in the world for the past 15 years has been an amazing experience.''
The Red Wings selected the hard-nosed right wing with the 46th overall pick in the 1992 draft. He made his NHL debut during the 1993-94 season, playing in 67 games as a rookie. McCarty, who embraced the enforcer's role in Hockeytown and became a fan favorite, had his best season in the 1996-97 Cup-winning campaign, scoring 19 goals to go with 30 assists.
McCarty saved his best for the postseason with 49 points in 174 career playoff games, including six game-winning goals.
After signing with the Calgary Flames in 2005, he returned to Detroit to finish his career. McCarty played in only 13 games last season before becoming a free agent and was not signed this past offseason.
``It was a great ride. I appreciate what the game has given me and I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish as a hockey player, but now I'm excited for the next chapter,'' he said.
