Daniel Briere announces retirement from NHL after 17 seasons

Daniel Briere announces his retirement after 17 years in the NHL.

Daniel Briere is retiring from the NHL after 17 seasons in the league, he told Ottawa newspaper La Droit. 

Briere told the paper he is retiring so he can spend more time with his three children. 

Briere, 37, played with five teams during his career. He played six years in Phoenix before a 2002-03 mid-season trade to Buffalo, where he lasted until 2007. Briere then joined Philadelphia for six seasons before finishing his career with a season each in Montreal and Colorado. 

The 5'9" forward had an especially memorable run with the Flyers, where he became known for his exceptional postseason performances. In 2010, during Philadelphia's run to the Stanley Cup, Briere scored 30 points in 23 playoff games.

Diminutive Danny Briere always came up big in the playoffs

Briere finished his career with 116 points in 124 career playoff games. 

The speedy forward played this last season with the Avalanche, recording 12 points in 57 games.

In his prime, Briere filled up the stat sheet. In 2006–07, his last season with the Sabres, Briere scored 95 points with 32 goals and 63 assists. 

Briere will finish his career just shy of 700 points with 696 on 307 goals and 389 assists. 

Through the Flyers, Briere released a statement about his decision to retire:

“After taking a few weeks to think about it, it's time to hang them up and spend a little more time at home with the family,” Briere said. “I've been very, very fortunate to have had a chance to play with some great organizations, but at this point the family becomes a priority. The Flyers are where I played the bulk of my career. I've had a great time in Philadelphia and have been very, very fortunate to have the chance to play here.”

- Rohan Nadkarni