Michael Del Zotto Retires From Pro Hockey After 14 Seasons
"The blood, sweat, tears, broken bones, triumph, heartbreak and sacrifice were worth every second," said former NHL D-man Michael Del Zotto as he announced his retirement.
Michael Del Zotto called Wednesday a bittersweet day as he announced his retirement from professional hockey.
Del Zotto played 13 seasons in the NHL, finishing with 736 career regular-season games, 63 goals and 199 assists for 262 points. He also played 32 playoff games, putting up 12 points. Del Zotto spent last season, his 14th as a pro, in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers and San Diego Gulls, where he had 41 points in 65 games.
"The blood, sweat, tears, broken bones, triumph, heartbreak and sacrifice were worth every second," the 33-year-old said in a statement posted to Instagram. "So were the many amazing relationships I made along the way."
Del Zotto said his teammates, staff members and fans are among those relationships. The New York Rangers drafted him 20th overall in 2008, and from his first NHL game on Oct. 2, 2009, he played five seasons for the team.
From there, the Rangers traded him to the Nashville Predators in January 2014, and he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers that August. Following three seasons in Philly, Del Zotto spent a full season with the Vancouver Canucks before splitting 2018-19 between them, the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues. As a black ace for the winning Blues in the 2019 playoffs, his name is engraved on the Stanley Cup.
Del Zotto returned to Anaheim for 2019-20, then played for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020-21 and the Ottawa Senators in 2021-22. The Sens bought out the final year of his contract, which created an annual buyout cost of $750,000 for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. That cap hit remains for this upcoming season, according to PuckPedia.
But Del Zotto's relationships extended beyond his fellow team members, he said.
"The most meaningful were the ones I shared with the kids I met at Ronald McDonald house during my time in Vancouver and those with the Garden of Dreams during my time in New York, especially Liam and Taylor," Del Zotto said.
"As athletes, we can become consumed with each season, game period or shift, but hockey is just a game. These relationships often kept me in check and reminded me about what was most important in life. Having the opportunity to make a positive impact on others and give back to the community was the most rewarding part of my career."
Del Zotto also noted the "pressure-packed and heavily scrutinized" job he had while being proud of the life lessons he learned along the way. And of course, he brought attention to the love and support from his family.
"From the moment I put skates on at the age of three, they were there to guide me and give me every opportunity to live out my dream," he said. "My accomplishments are just as much theirs as they are mine."
As he moves on to the next chapter of his life, Del Zotto said he's ready to spend more time with family and explore the world. But he's also a part-time DJ, and according to his LinkedIn page, he's also a licensed real estate agent, a brand ambassador for the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation and a mentor at Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon.