Pascal Dupuis announces retirement after recent medical scares

After spending the better part of a year trying to recover from multiple blood clot scares, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis officially announced his retirement from the NHL on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old veteran only played in 18 games this season while taking blood thinners, but missed a handful of games due to medical emergencies. One of those emergencies kept him in the hospital overnight last month while the Penguins played a road game.

Dr. Dharmesh Vyas, the Penguins’ team physician, said in a statement Tuesday that the risk of continuing his career was significant enough to warrant concern for his well-being.

"Despite playing on a medical protocol that has worked for other players in the NHL, we feel that the risk of Pascal playing with his condition and the side effects of the tests to monitor him are just not in the best interest of his long-term health," said Vyas.

Dupuis' medical problems began in January 2014 when doctors diagnosed him with blood clots following surgery to repair torn ligaments in his knee. Despite taking blood clots for the next six months, another blood clot was found in his lung in November 2014 and he missed the rest of the season.

Dupuis played for over 15 seasons in the league, including the last eight of his career in Pittsburgh. He was an integral part of the Penguins' Stanley Cup win in 2009. He's expressed interest in remaining a part of the team off the ice after his retirement.

Dupuis: 100% this was about my family. If it were just me I'd still be playing.

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 8, 2015