Reports that Nolan Patrick retired from pro hockey are WRONG
Despite multiple reports from earlier in the day, the family of Nolan Patrick has reportedly denied that he retired from pro hockey.
It was believed that after being hired by The Power Play program as a skills specialist and video coach, Patrick’s playing career was over. It turns out that isn’t the case. At least, not yet, according to his family, via Skylar Peters of Global News in Winnipeg.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman later confirmed this with Patrick directly.
Global News has confirmed with the family of Golden Knights F Nolan Patrick the 25 year-old has NOT retired from hockey.
— Skylar Peters (@SkylarAPeters) December 20, 2023
Reached out to Patrick today, he politely declined to talk…but did text to say he has not officially retired. It's clear he prefers to stay under the radar. https://t.co/wbMY2BYQBP
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 20, 2023
Patrick came into the NHL with plenty of promise, as he was selected second overall by the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2017 draft, behind Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils) and behind Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars). The Winnipeg native had a phenomenal junior hockey career with the Brandon Wheat Kings, scoring 92 goals and 205 points in just 163 games.
Patrick was limited to just 33 games in his draft-eligible season due to several injuries but impressed nonetheless with 20 goals and 46 points.
Patrick’s career with the Flyers got off to a relatively slow start, as he put up 26 goals and 61 points in a combined 145 games through his first two seasons. That said, he was still just 20 years old and had plenty of potential to develop into a star talent.
Unfortunately for Patrick, that is where things began to go south. During the 2019 offseason, he started to develop headaches and was diagnosed with a migraine disorder. As a result, he was forced to miss the 2019-20 season.
Patrick was able to return for the 2020-21 season, but it was clear that the missed year hurt his development, as he registered just two goals and six points in 52 games. Trade rumours picked up shortly afterward, and sure enough, he was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights that summer.
The hope was that a change of scenery could help get Patrick’s career back on track, but that failed to be the case. He suited up in just 25 games with the Golden Knights before suffering a concussion and sitting out for the remainder of the 2021-22 season and the 2022-23 campaign.
Patrick is currently without a contract, presumably due to the fact that he is still unable to play. That said, it appears that he is still aiming towards returning at some point in the future, should his health allow him to do so. For the mean time, he will work in his new role with The Power Play program.
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