Former Panthers Stanley Cup Champion Announces Retirement

After 17 years in the NHL, a veteran addition to the Florida Panthers Stanley Cup run has called it a career.

Jun 24, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Kyle Okposo (8) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

17-year NHL veteran Kyle Okposo was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the Florida Panthers in hopes of getting the 36-year-old his first Stanley Cup. Not only did the Panthers go on to win the Cup, but Okposo gets to go out on top.

After 1,051 games in the NHL Okposo has officially announced his retirement. In an open letter posted by his agency, Okposo thanked his former teams, teammates, and family as he hand up the skates.

An open letter from Kyle Okposo. pic.twitter.com/wb5UC6yL4l

— CAA Hockey (@CAAHockey) September 19, 2024

Okposo is a native of St. Paul, MN, and was a first-round draft pick (7th overall) of the New York Islanders in 2006. He played 529 games with the Islanders and was a key leader between 2008 and 2016.

He helped lead the Islanders to the playoffs three times and was regularly one of the team’s top point scorers.

After leaving the Islanders in 2016, Okposo joined the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent. In eight years with the Sabres, Okposo was once again a true leader, even on a struggling Sabres team.

In 2022 the Sabres named Okposo captain, and he held that position until he was traded to the Panthers during the 2023-24 season.

Okposo only played six regular season games with the Panthers, but he got the ultimate prize and became a Stanley Cup champion. He played 17 games of the Panthers’ playoff run and recorded two assists.

Over his 1,051-game career, Okposo scored 242 goals and 372 assists for 614 total points. He didn’t play on many successful teams throughout his career but appeared in a total of 41 playoff games in four postseason appearances. In that time, he scored seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points.

Okposo’s final NHL appearance came in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. Okposo played 12 shifts and recorded 7:51 of ice time as the Panthers won their franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

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