There was speculation he’d come back for one more season but, ultimately, Patrick Thoresen is sticking with the decision he made last summer and announced his retirement on Thursday via Instagram.
Thoresen, 41, is the long-time captain and all-time leading scorer of the Norwegian national team and has had a lengthy professional career in numerous countries, including Norway, Sweden and the NHL.
“After 25 years as a professional hockey player, my body stopped and it was good that it helped me to put my skates on the shelf and make this decision,” Thoresen’s announcement begins.
Born in Oslo, Thoresen’s career began with Storhamar in Hamar before going overseas at age 17 to play junior hockey in the QMJHL for the Moncton Wildcats and Baie Como Drakkar. In 2002-03, he led the Q with 75 assists.
“Patrick Thoresen is a man who deserves respect,” said Niklas Wikegård, sports director of Swedish club Djurgården, where Thoresen played from age 20 to 23, and then finished his career last season. “He came back here to Djurgården with a clear goal, drove hard as hell, injured his groin so badly that he could barely sleep at night and still stepped in to help in the final series against AIK.
“Personally, he is one of my favorites in the entire hockey world, both as a player and above all as a person.”
Patrick Thoresen chooses to play his final season in Sweden
Last month, 40-year-old Patrick Thoresen, captain of the Norwegian national team, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/patrick-thoresen-i-will-play-a-maximum-of-one-more-year">said he would play one more season and indicated it would be with either hometown Storhamar in Norway or with famous Swedish club Djurgården</a>, for whom he played several seasons as a young player and had considerable success. Now his decision has been made, and <a href="https://www.sil.no/patrick-til-djurgarden/">the Norwegian club announced Thoresen’s impending departure on its website</a> on Monday.
Thoresen was never drafted by an NHL team but signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. Over the next two seasons with the Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers, he played 106 regular-season NHL games, tallying 24 points and 66 penalty minutes. He also played 14 playoff games with the Flyers in 2008, recording two assists.
Other stops in his career have included Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, HC Lugano and the Zurich Lions in Switzerland, and Salavat Yulaev Ufa and SKA St. Petersburg in Russia.
Internationally, Thoresen represented Norway at 10 IIHF World Championships, recording 55 points in 65 games, and at two Winter Olympics, recording nine points in 13 games.
Norway youth movement evident on Olympic qualifying roster
For years, it seemed like the Norwegian national team was getting older and older, and it was only a matter of time before the team would no longer be able to compete with the world’s elite. However, they’ve had a bit of a youth movement of late, and the <a href="https://www.hockey.no/nyheter/2024/ol-kvalifisering/">Olympic qualifying team announced on Monday</a> contains eight players born in the 21st Century.
In his later years, in addition to still being a productive player, he was a mentor to many young players, including Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Stian Solberg on the Norwegian national team and Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund with Djurgården.
“It’s been 25 years of ups and downs, but I look back on this chapter filled with so much,” he continues. “From being a little blond boy from West Hamar to experiencing the NHL, NLA, KHL and SHL, to ending my career with The Double with my childhood club Storhamar in 2024 and helping my beloved Djurgården to promotion to the SHL in 2025 gives a nice end to a rich career.”
Thoresen went on to thank everyone involved in his career, including teammates, coaches, management, training and medical staff, the fans and, of course, his family.
“Also to Monica, thank you so much for letting me follow my dreams,” the last paragraph begins. “Without you, it would never have been possible to combine a professional life and a family life. You’ve been an exceptional partner, friend, wife and a fantastic mother to our amazing children Mathilde and Fabian. I love you.”