The fifth-round draft pick turned elite offensive blueliner hangs up his skates after 12 seasons, concluding a standout journey from Dallas mainstay to Stanley Cup finalist.
On Friday, longtime Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 12 NHL seasons. Selected by the Stars in the fifth round, 131st overall, of the 2010 NHL Draft, Klingberg is hanging up his skates for good.
Klingberg spent the bulk of his career in Dallas, where he emerged as one of the most dynamic offensive defensemen in franchise history. He had stretches as an elite 40-to-65-point blueliner, highlighted by a career-best, All-Star campaign in 2017-18 when he posted 67 points in 82 games.
He also became a leader in the Stars' locker room, serving as an assistant captain from 2017 until 2022, when his tenure in Dallas came to an end and he departed for Anaheim to sign with the Ducks.
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His time with the Ducks was brief, as he was dealt to the Minnesota Wild during his first season there, and injuries increasingly became part of his story from that point forward. He played sparingly between 2023 and 2025, first with the Toronto Maple Leafs and later, more notably, with the Edmonton Oilers, where he helped the club reach the Stanley Cup Final by reshaping his game around a more defensively responsible role than the offense-first identity that defined his prime years.
This past season, Klingberg signed with the San Jose Sharks as a veteran presence and once again showed flashes of his old form, posting 27 points in 56 games, though injuries again limited his availability. Now 34, he's decided it's time to step away from the game.
Klingberg finishes his career with 92 goals and 351 assists for 443 points across 700 games, along with a strong playoff résumé, adding 43 points in 82 postseason games. It's a fitting close to a standout career for a player who carved out an elite NHL role despite being a fifth-round pick.
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