One of the most successful American players over the last two decades is hanging up his skates.
Jamie Langenbrunner announced his retirement on Wednesday, via the NHLPA, ending a 16-year-career highlighted by a pair of Stanley Cup championships and two Olympic appearances, winning silver in 2010.
“It was a dream come true to have the opportunity to play in the NHL for 16 seasons. The friendships I developed with my teammates, and also the people in the communities where I played, will always be cherished by my family and I,” said Langenbrunner. “I would like to thank Bob Gainey, Lou Lamoriello and Doug Armstrong for giving me the opportunity to play against the top players in hockey, in the best league in the world. I’d also like to thank my coaches and teammates for helping a kid from Minnesota enjoy a long, fulfilling hockey career. Finally I’d like to thank my truly amazing family for all their sacrifices they made so I could live my dream.”
Langenbrunner played in over 1,100 NHL contests for the Stars, Devils and Blues. The Minnesota native was taken 35th overall at the 1993 NHL Entry Draft (by Dallas) and had arguably his best campaign during the 2002-03 season, when he scored 22 goals during the regular season, then led the playoffs in goals (11) and points (18) as the Devils beat the Ducks in the Cup Final.
Langenbrunner also enjoyed something of a career renaissance late in his time with the Devils. He become the eighth captain in franchise history in 2007, then scored a career-high 29 goals and 69 points during the 2008-09 campaign -- when he was 33 years old. The following year, Langenbrunner recorded a career-high 42 assists.
Internationally, Langenbrunner represented the U.S. at the World Junior, World Cup and Olympic level. He captained the Americans in ’10 and famously assisted on Zach Parise’s late equalizer goal in the gold medal game in Vancouver, forcing overtime.