Derick Brassard has announced his retirement from professional hockey in an interview published in La Presse. The 36-year old centreman played in 1016 NHL games, scoring 215 goals and 330 assists across 10 teams and 16 years.
Brassard was a former 6th overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, where he spent the the beginning of his career. He then was traded to the New York Rangers in the lockout shortened 2012-13 season, where he would arguably play the best hockey of his career. With the Rangers, Brassard would score a career high in points in 2014-15 with 60 and a career high in goals the following season with 27.
He would then bounce around the league playing for the Ottawa Senators (twice), Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers.
He last played professional hockey in the 2022-23 season in his second stint with the Ottawa Senators, where he had 23 points in 62 games and was the team's nomination for the Bill Masterton Trophy. It was a surprise when Brassard was left without a contract or a try out at the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
Before his NHL career, Brassard played four seasons in the Q, all with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. They drafted him 18th overall in the 2004 QMJHL Entry Draft, and he soon became a fan favourite. After a rough first season where he split time between triple-A and Drummondville, Brassard would explode offensively with 76 points across 69 games in 2004-05. That would win him the Michel Bergeron Trophy for offensive rookie of the year and the QMJHL Rookie of the Year award. He would then go on to put up 116 points in 58 games in 2005-06, his draft year. He would win the Mike Bossy Trophy for best professional prospect and would get selected 6th Overall in the NHL Draft. Unfortunately, his final QMJHL was shortened by injury, but he was still able to hit 25 points across 16 games, and had 24 points over 12 games in the playoffs.
Brassard registered 218 points across 151 games, all with the Voltigeurs. The Voligeurs would retire his number #61 in 2016. Brassard has also dipped his toes into managing, becoming one of the part-owners of the Gatineau Olympiques from 2020 to 2023.