Ex-Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec has retired due to injuries
Longtime Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec has officially retired from hockey due to injuries.
Plekanec, who suited up for 984 regular season games with the Canadiens, while also having a brief 17-game stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, last suited up in the NHL during the 2018-19 season. Since leaving the NHL, he has played in Czechia, split between the Brno Kometa and, more recently, the Kladno Knights.
TomĆ”Å” Plekanec retired
After health problems he is not able to finish this season, so he decided to end his playing career in his native Kladno.
š@TomasPleky14 šµš“āŖļø@AZadarski @EricEngels @ArponBasu @Dave_Stubbs @StuCowan1 @MAGodin @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/OBaVa5MYBc
ā MatÄj Hejda (@matej_hejda33) October 28, 2023
Plekanec had appeared in nine games with the Knights this season, scoring a goal and four points, but injuries have piled on and forced him to call it a career.
Taken in the third round of the 2001 draft by the Canadiens, Plekanec became an extremely reliable two-way centreman for the organization. He was a tremendous leader as well, spending the last eight seasons with them as an assistant captain.
Plekanec’s best season from a points perspective came in 2009-10, where he recorded 25 goals and 70 points in 82 outings. That season marked one of seven times he hit the 20-goal marker in his career. In total, he played 1001 career games in the NHL, scoring 233 goals and 608 points. He also suited up for 94 playoff games, contributing with 18 goals and 53 points.
Plekanec’s 984 games in a Habs sweater are good enough for seventh in franchise history, trailing only Andrei Markov, Claude Provost, Jean Beliveau, Bob Gainey, Larry Robinson, and Henri Richard. His 233 goals are good enough for 17th amongst all Habs players, while his 606 points are 13th.
Given how recent this news is, the Canadiens have yet to put out a statement of any sort. That said, you can expect a big tribute to be given to Plekanec in due time, as the 40-year-old is one of the most beloved Habs in recent memory.
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