Bret Hedican Officially Retires

Bret Hedican is officially retiring from the NHL after a successful 17 year career. Hedican was a 10th round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues in 1988. In his 17 year career he played for the Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and Anaheim Ducks. He played in over 1100 games including 108 playoff games in his career.  In 2006 Hedican won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes.

"It would be hard to walk away from the game without being a champion, although I don't think that defines you," Hedican said. "I would have hated to have felt incomplete retiring and not winning. But you learn so many things about life in your career, and that lesson was a champion doesn't make you who you are. It just confirmed what I always felt the environment you needed to have a championship team."

Many players have that same feeling but not every player gets that opportunity.  Hedican will be remembered by hockey fans as a smooth skater that added some toughness to the teams he played for.