Nolan Patrick Denies Rumors He’s Retired from Hockey

It appears talk that former second-overall draft picks Nolan Patrick has retired from the NHL seems premature. Multiple sources reported late Tuesday night that Patrick’s taking a position with The Power Play, a hockey coaching program overseen by former NHL forward Jayce Hawryluk. Patrick has denied that he is officially retired.

Elliotte Friedman said he reached out to Patrick and while the player didn’t want to talk about his status, he did confirm he was not officially retired.

Reached out to Patrick today, he politely declined to talk…but did text to say he has not officially retired. It's clear he prefers to stay under the radar. https://t.co/wbMY2BYQBP

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 20, 2023

Patrick, the former center for the Flyers and Golden Knights was a 25-year-old forward who dealt with multiple injury issues. He was an unrestricted free agent, had been sidelined since March 2022 due to a migraine disorder.

Selected as the Flyers’ second-overall pick in 2017 and the son of former NHL winger Steve Patrick, it was believed Nolan Patrick had transitioned to a new role as a skills coach and mentor. While he may have taken the job, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he closed off a future. The issue seems to have stemmed from the fact the post on Instagram said that Patrick was retired from the NHL. Obviously, there was miscommunication on their end that has left more than a few people with egg on their face.

As of this writing, the Instagram post has been changed and no longer labels Patrick as a retired NHL player. He is still working with the group while he awaits what comes next in his NHL future.

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