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Former Oilers defenceman from 2025 Stanley Cup Final run has retired

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Sep 11 2026, 5:02 pm
Former Oilers defenceman from 2025 Stanley Cup Final run has retired
Sam Navarro/Imagn Images

A former Edmonton Oilers defenceman from their run to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final is officially hanging up the skates.

John Klingberg, who spent part of the 2024-25 season with the Oilers, announced his retirement from professional hockey on Friday morning.

Klingberg was able to resurrect his career following hip resurfacing surgery in late 2023, an operation that some thought could mark the end of his career. Instead, he joined the Oilers late in the 2024-25 season on a one-year deal.

Klingberg wound up logging 11 regular-season games with the Oilers before suiting up for 19 of their 22 playoff outings as the team made its second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Though the Oilers ultimately fell short, Klingberg was a valuable piece on their back end. He averaged more than 19 minutes of ice time throughout the playoffs while chipping in with a goal and three assists.

The Oilers ultimately chose not to bring Klingberg back following the 2024-25 campaign, with the veteran defenceman signing a one-year, $4-million deal with the San Jose Sharks.

Klingberg played 56 games with San Jose, scoring 10 goals and 27 points.

Though his play had declined in the later stages of his career, Klingberg was once viewed as one of the NHL’s top offensive defencemen.

The 34-year-old’s best days came with the Dallas Stars, where he recorded 40 or more points in six seasons. That included a career-high 67 points during the 2017-18 campaign.

Injuries impacted Klingberg during the later stages of his career, but he was still able to play 700 NHL games, recording 92 goals and 443 points along the way.

Along with the Stars, Oilers, and Sharks, Klingberg also spent time with the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

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