Veteran defenseman P.K. Subban announced Tuesday on social media he will retire from the NHL after 13 years in the league.  The 33-year-old Subban posted on Twitter and Instagram: “I remember my dreams of playing in the NHL and winning a Stanley Cup, similar to the guys on the Don Cherry Rock’em Sock’em tapes at the end of every volume, with the black eyes, broken bones, and tears of joy. To this day, I still dream about it. However, the end of this chapter is closing and after 13 years in the NHL, I have made the decision to retire.”

Subban, a three-time All-Star, spent seven seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, three with the Nashville Predators and three with the New Jersey Devils.  Last season, Subban scored five goals and logged 17 assists in 77 games last season for the Devils; and in 834 career appearances, he totaled 115 goals and 467 points.  Subban won the 2012-13 James Norris Memorial Trophy, given to the league’s top defenseman, and won a gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Winter Games. He also won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy last season, an honor given by the NHL for leadership and humanitarian contributions.

Subban concluded: “I never looked at myself or ever felt I was ‘just a hockey player.’  I always looked at myself as a person who happened to play hockey. Having that perspective allowed me to enjoy every shift like it was my last, celebrate every goal with emotion, and play every game as if someone paid to watch me play who had never seen me play before …  I look forward to the road ahead, and the many exciting opportunities to come. I’m excited to share what those are with you all when the time comes!”

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