BUFFALO, N.Y. — Forward Brian Gionta has announced his retirement from the NHL after 16 seasons.
Gionta, 39, is a former Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres captain and two-time U.S. Olympian. He won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003.
“Playing with my childhood team the Sabres was a highlight of my career,” the western New York native said at a news conference Monday.
With his playing career over, Gionta said he’s taking a role within the Sabres organization.
“Looking forward to spending more time with my family and also playing a small part with the organization,” Gionta said Monday. “Looking forward to that next step of my career.”
Gionta spent most of last season out of the NHL while preparing to play at the Pyeongchang Winter Games. He then signed with Boston, where he had two goals and seven assists in 21 games, including one in the playoffs. Gionta had 291 goals and 595 points in 1,026 career games.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.