Former Bruins Backup Goaltender Announces Retirement
Veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halák officially announced his retirement from professional hockey on Friday.
The goaltender played 17 seasons in the NHL, including three with the Boston Bruins.
“I’m done,” Halák said in a recent interview with Tomáš Prokop of Denník Šport, translated through Google Translate. “I’ll never wear the pads again.”
He originally signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract in Boston in 2018 as a backup to star goaltender Tuukka Rask. As a backup, Halak was reliable for the Bruins, proving to be solid when they needed him.
In 90 games across three seasons in Boston, the 40-year-old posted a 49-23-14 record, a .918 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average. During his first year with the Bruins, he played in 40 games, posting a 22-1-4 record.
The following season, Halak and Rask won the William M. Jennings Trophy after allowing the fewest goals against during the regular season.
Across 17 seasons, he played 581 games, totaling 295 wins and a 0.915 career save percentage. He played for seven different teams, including the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues.
His final season was with the Rangers during the 2022-23 season and went 10-9-5 with a 2.72 goals-against average and .903 save percentage.