Now 37 years old, NHL veteran forward Chris Thorburn has announced his retirement. The former St. Louis Blue played over 800 NHL games but did not play in either the NHL or AHL this past season.
On Monday Thorburn announced via the official St. Louis Blues website that he was leaving the game. He said:
He has issued the following statement:
“Thank you to everyone who supported me, believed in me, and influenced me throughout my hockey career. The Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues all took a chance on me and for that I am forever grateful.
“To finish my hockey career with the St. Louis Blues and finally get an opportunity to lift the Stanley Cup over my head, I could not have scripted a better way to go out. Thank you to Doug Armstrong and Tom Stillman, as well as Craig Berube, the coaching staff and the training staff. Most importantly, thank you to my Blues teammates for taking me on a journey of a lifetime.
“Thank you to my mom and dad, my brothers, Joey and Mark, and my sisters, Kathleen and Melanie, for your sacrifices and support, which allowed me to chase my childhood dream.
“Thank you to my agent, Steve Bartlett, for your honesty, guidance and friendship.
“Bennett Boy, you were and are my inspiration. Mary, you were Daddy’s biggest fan and Oscar, you’ll have to listen to a lot of dad’s stories. To my wife, Sara, the road was not always easy but you were always in my corner. The grind that you had to endure at times was unimaginable but you never complained. Out of all the great teammates that I’ve had throughout my career, you are my favorite. Thank you for everything!
“It was an unbelievable ride with a storybook ending. As tough as it is to close this chapter, I am excited for the new adventures ahead for myself and my family.”
His last contract in the NHL came in 2017 when Thorburn signed a two-year deal with the St. Louis Blues as a free agent. He appeared in 50 games with the club in 2017-18 followed that season up with only one game for the Blues and 40 games for the club’s AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. He was recalled by the Blues for the 2018-19 Stanley Cup run and was a veteran leader on the club and even though he didn’t play in a single game, he was the fourth player handed to cup during the celebration.
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