Lee Stempniak has retired from the NHL after playing for 10 teams in 14 seasons.
The 36-year-old winger announced his decision Tuesday through the players union. He said he is “extremely grateful to have lived my dream every day throughout my career.”
The West Seneca, N.Y., native played in more NHL games (911) than any player in Dartmouth history, scoring 203 goals and adding 266 assists. His offensive numbers are all records for a former Big Green player in the league.
“Lee is the epitome of what a college student-athlete should be,” Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet said in a news release. “He was hard-working, intelligent, dedicated, humble and an outstanding representative for our hockey team. … I’m so proud of the incredible career Lee had in the NHL.”
Stempniak was a two-time All-American with the Big Green as a junior and senior. He ranks fourth in program history with 151 points, and his 63 career goals are 10th-best. The speedy wing played a major role in Dartmouth’s on-ice resurgence of the mid-2000s, a period that saw several of his teammates also make NHL rosters.
Stempniak was a steady presence at the pro level, playing in 70 games or more in nine of his NHL seasons. He was drafted by St. Louis in 2003 and broke in with the Blues in 2005, ultimately spending four seasons with them, his longest stretch with any team. His most productive year came with the Blues in 2006-07 when he had a team-leading 27 goals along with 25 assists.
The Dartmouth graduate also played for Toronto, Phoenix, Calgary, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, Winnipeg, New Jersey, Carolina and Boston. He played two games last season with the Bruins. He also represented the United States at the IIHF World Championships in 2007, ’08 and ’09, netting 15 points in 23 career games.
Devils general manager Ray Shero called Stempniak a “consummate pro and role model on every team he has been a part of.”