'Big Rig' Pat Maroon Announces His Retirement From The NHL

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After more than 800 games in the NHL and three Stanley Cups, "Big Rig" Patrick Maroon has announced his plan to retire from the NHL at the end of the season.

Maroon and the Chicago Blackhawks spent Saturday in St. Louis, which happens to be the forward's hometown and the city where he won his first of three straight Stanley Cups.

It was also Maroon's 840th game in the NHL, and before it started, he announced his plans during an interview with ex-NHL netminder and Chicago Sports Network broadcaster Darren Pang.

"Sometimes you've got to give up everything you know and everything you dreamed of your whole life," an emotional Maroon said. "I just know it's time for my family to start a new chapter in our lives."

It's got to be a tough feeling to work your whole life for something and then have to realize that it's over. Definitely a scary prospect, but unfortunately, it's a reality for every professional athlete.

"It’s tough," he continued. "It’s hard to go through things like this. You can’t really process it, but I think it’s special for me and my family to go start a new chapter."

It's awesome that Maroon got to have one more night in St. Louis as an NHLer because the city played such a big role in his career.

Maroon won a Stanley Cup in 2019 with the Blues but left his hometown team to sign with the Tampa Bay Lighting and went on to win Cups in 2020 and 2021.

He was the 161st overall pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007 after playing for the OHL's London Knights. After parts of four seasons with the Philadelphia and Adirondack Phantoms, Maroon was traded to the Anaheim Ducks and made his NHL debut with them during the 2011-12 season.

From there, the 36-year-old journeyman went on to have stints in Edmonton, New Jersey, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and Chicago, tallying 125 goals and195 assists for 320 points.

The Blackhawks were officially eliminated from playoff contention this week, which means Maroon's final game is likely to be April 15, on the road against the Ottawa Senators.

In a cool send-off, Maroon was named the first star following the Blackhawks' 4-1 loss to the Blues and received an ovation bigger than I'm sure any Blackhawk has ever gotten in St. Louis.