Martin St. Louis has announced his retirement today at the age of 40 after 19 years in the NHL. Over the course of those 19 years, he played for the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers.
St. Louis played the bulk of his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, from 2000-2014. In 2014, he was traded to the New York Rangers as part of a captain-for-captain swap, with Ryan Callahan after St. Louis demanded a trade to the Rangers after getting into a fight with Tampa GM Steve Yzerman who did not put him on Team Canada in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
St. Louis played college hockey at the University of Vermont, and because he was only 5’9 in college, he was overlooked by major junior teams in Canada due to his small stature. As a member of the Catamounts, he had 51 points in 33 games his freshman year. He led the NCAA in scoring with 71 points in 35 games in his sophomore year. In his junior season. he had 85 points in 35 games. His senior year was a let down; he scored only 59 points in 36 games.
After his senior year in 1998, the Calgary Flames signed St. Louis to a two year deal. His option was picked up in 1999 but he was bought out in 2000. After that, he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning where he would have most of his success for his 14 year tenure, including a Stanley Cup win in 2004. In 2014, St. Louis was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ryan Callahan.
St. Louis had an average regular season for the Rangers after the trade but was a key member of the Rangers run to the Stanley Cup, as they arguably wouldn’t have made it to the Cup that season without him.
The Rangers rallied around St. Louis after his mother died and helped them come back from a 3-1 deficit - the Penguins. In Game 6 against the Penguins, he scored a goal on mother’s day, while still mourning his mother. After Game 6, an emotional St. Louis proclaimed after the win when giving out the broadway hat, "I couldn't be prouder to be a [expletive] New York Ranger."
