Loui Eriksson announces retirement after 16 NHL seasons

Former NHLer Loui Eriksson announced his retirement Monday following a 16-season career.

“After a year-and-a-half of reflection, it’s time to officially retire,” Eriksson said in a statement Monday. “Hockey has given me more than I could have ever imagined. I have had the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but at the end of the day, I’m so thankful for the memories that I’m bringing as I walk away from the game of hockey.”

A veteran of 1,050 career contests counting stops with the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, and the former Arizona Coyotes, Eriksson amassed 253 goals and 360 assists for 613 career points. On six occasions, the Swedish-born forward was a 20-plus goal scorer, underscored by a 30-goal finish with the Bruins in 2015-16 and a career-high 36-goal output with the Stars in 2008-09. With the Stars, Eriksson also reached the 70-point plateau in three consecutive seasons from 2010-12, highlighted by his career-best 73-point campaign in 2010-11.

Originally chosen 33rd overall by Dallas in the 2003 NHL Draft, Eriksson made his most successful run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2008 where through 18 outings he put up four goals and four assists for eight points to help the Stars advance to the Western Conference Final. In all, through 44 total appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Eriksson registered six goals and eight assists for 14 points.

Beyond the NHL, Eriksson also saw success in international competition. At the IIHF World Championship, he was a three-time medalist, including a gold-medal victory in 2013 after he led the Swedes with 10 points in as many games. Among his other accolades, Eriksson also took home the silver medal with Sweden at the 2014 Winter Olympics, where he put up two goals and one assist for three points in six games.