The Vancouver Canucks are signing Kevin Bieksa.
No, really, it’s true.
While you could probably make a good case to throw the former right-shot defenceman into the Canucks’ lineup right now, he’s not making a comeback.
In fact, he’s retiring. Officially.
Bieksa is signing a one-day contract with the Canucks, allowing him to officially retire as a Canuck on November 3. That’s the same night the Canucks play the Anaheim Ducks, the only other team Bieksa played for during his 13-year NHL career, at Rogers Arena.
There’ll be a pre-game tribute for Bieksa, allowing the Canucks fan favourite to be properly saluted.
“I am both honoured and grateful to officially end my NHL career as a Vancouver Canuck,” said Bieksa in a statement. “It was a privilege to start my career with this amazing organization, in this incredible city, with the best fans in the league. I am and always have been a Canuck at heart and it’s fitting I retire as one.”
Bieksa hasn’t played an NHL game since 2018 and has since begun a successful broadcasting career with Sportsnet. But in June he revealed that he never officially retired from the league.
The 41-year-old was actually supposed to sign a one-day contract during the Canucks’ 50th anniversary season, on March 28, 2020, but the pandemic cancelled those plans.
āI was going to sign a one-day contract and retire as a Canuck two years ago,ā Bieksa said in an interview with The Athletic published on June 5. āI had my flight booked and everything.ā
Bieksa said his father, Al, came up with the idea.
āIt was actually my dadās idea. I donāt need to retire ā officially. I donāt need the attention. My dad was like, āItās good for the Canucks. Good for your legacy.ā Iām basically doing it for my dad. Iām supposed to retire as a Canuck.ā
Bieksa ranks 15th all-time in games played (597) by a Canuck, and seventh among defencemen. He ranks sixth in regular season points (241) and sixth in playoff points (25) among Canucks blueliners. One of those playoff points was one of the most famous goals in Canucks history, the overtime goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final which sent Vancouver to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.