Kyle Okposo Announces Retirement After 17-Season Career – Hockey Writers – NHL News

Kyle Okposo has announced his retirement following a 17-season NHL career. The 36-year-old was drafted seventh overall by the New York Islanders in the 2006 NHL Draft and played in 1,051 regular season NHL games. His career spanned three teams, scoring 242 goals and 614 points. He won his first and only Stanley Cup in his final game as a member of the Florida Panthers.

An open letter from Kyle Okposo. pic.twitter.com/wb5UC6yL4l

– CAA Hockey (@CAAHockey) September 19, 2024

Great job by Okposo

Okposo made his NHL debut for the Islanders at age 19 on March 18, 2008, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored his first NHL goal, a powerplay winner, three days later against the New Jersey Devils. He ranked seventh in goals, seventh in points, and ninth in games played among the 2006 NHL Draft Class.

Okposo played 529 regular season games with the Islanders, tallying 139 goals and 369 points. He was co-captain for seven seasons and had career highs of 27 goals and 69 points, both in the 2013–14 season. He played in just 24 playoff games for Long Island, scoring seven goals and 15 points in those games. Throughout his nine seasons with the Islanders, he has consistently raised the bar, despite the team's underachievement. He was a leader and fan favorite and cemented himself as a key player in Islanders history. In the 2016 offseason, Okposo signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

Related: Revisiting Kyle Okposo's 9 Seasons with the Islanders

Okposo spent four seasons as an alternate captain before spending his final two seasons as a captain, leading Buffalo's backfield of Owen Power, Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, and others. Despite having four different coaches during his eight seasons, Okposo provided consistent leadership throughout 516 games in Buffalo. He scored 103 goals and 245 points for Buffalo, and failed to reach the postseason. He was traded to the Panthers at the 2024 Trade Deadline.

The Panthers sent Calle Själin and a conditional seventh-round pick to the Sabers for Okposo. With Florida winning the Stanley Cup, that draft pick turned into a fourth-round pick. Okposo played in six regular season games at Florida, failing to register a point. In the 2024 Playoffs, he played in 17 of a possible 24 games, including six of seven in the Stanley Cup Finals. He had just two assists in the playoffs and became the third player to lift the Stanley Cup, following captain Alexander Barkov and 14-year veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Okposo may not have been a household name, but he was a fan favorite at every team he played for. After spending time with the family, don't be surprised to see his name come up again in a coaching or front office job in the future.