Jaroslav Halak announced his retirement from professional hockey Friday.
The 40-year-old goalie was 295-189-69 with a 2.50 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and 53 shutouts in 581 regular-season games (555 starts) during 17 NHL seasons, with the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers.
He last played with the Rangers in 2022-23, going 10-9-5 with a 2.72 GAA and .903 save percentage in 25 games (24 starts).
Selected by Montreal in the ninth round (No. 271) of the 2003 NHL Draft, Halak won the William Jennings Trophy as the goalie on the team that allowed the fewest goals in a season twice, with the Blues in 2011-12 and the Bruins in 2019-20, and he ranks in the top 15 all-time among Europe-born NHL goalies in games played (12th) and wins (14th).
He also was 17-20 with a 2.48 GAA and .919 save percentage in 39 Stanley Cup Playoff games (37 starts).
Halak’s best run was during the 2010 playoffs when he helped the No. 8-seeded Canadiens reach the Eastern Conference Final. In the first round, the Canadiens went down 3-1 against the Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals, but Halak allowed three goals on 134 shots (.978 save percentage) in the final three games as Montreal rallied for a seven-game victory. The Canadiens then eliminated Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games in the second round. They lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games in the conference final.
Halak also played for his native Slovakia at the Olympics in 2010 and 2014, and helped Team Europe reach the championship game at the World Cup of Hockey 2016.
You must be logged in to post a comment.