Veteran goaltender Curtis McElhinney announces retirement

Veteran goaltender Curtis McElhinney was unable to find a team to sign with in free agency and rather than opt to try his hand at a tryout somewhere, he has instead called it a career, updating his Instagram profile to state that he has now retired.

The 38-year-old was never truly able to establish himself as a starter in the NHL but that didn’t stop him from having a long career as a backup.  Following a strong season with Carolina as a 35-year-old in 2018-19, McElhinney was able to land a two-year deal with Tampa Bay that just ended this summer.  He posted a 2.97 GAA along with a .895 SV% in 30 games with the Lightning over that stretch while winning a pair of Stanley Cups along the way; going out on top is never a bad way to go.

McElhinney played for eight different teams over his 13-year NHL career after being a sixth-round pick in 2002 by Calgary, spanning 249 appearances.  He hangs up his skates with a 94-95-20 record along with a 2.83 GAA and a .907 SV% along with a dozen shutouts.  PHR wishes him well in his retirement.