New York Islanders forward, Mike Sillinger has announced his retirement after playing in the...

New York Islanders forward, Mike Sillinger has announced his retirement after playing in the National Hockey League for the past 17 seasons.

Originally drafted eleventh overall in the first round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Sillinger played a total of 141 games for the Islanders the last three seasons. Sillinger also served as the teams assistant captain while scoring 42 goals and 45 assists for 87 points.

"To play the sport of hockey, something I've had a passion for all my life, at the professional level for the past 17 years and to be able to support my family has been a dream come true," said Sillinger. "From playing this game I have met some of my best friends and will cherish the memories we made forever."

>> team release

6 months ago James Mirtle 5 comments 0 recs |

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I wonder how beat up he is with his injuries and all… I wanna say that I would have taken him over Bertuzzi (for cheaper anyway). Maybe his body can’t keep up though… Or maybe he’s tired of moving

by detroitnick on Aug 26, 2009 5:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He had some good years there to end his career. Nothing to be ashamed about there, that’s for sure.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Aug 26, 2009 5:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fairly beaten up. He had one serious hip surgery that ended his 2007-08 season (part of a spate of injuries that sunk that Islanders squad, which was actually in a playoff spot mid-way through). That required a long rehab, and when he tried to come back last December, he knew something wasn’t right. Indeed: An MRI indicated there was no cartilage left, so he had further hip surgery.

He said he doesn’t want to be a cripple — and if he tried to be a hero and play through it, a hip replacement at age 40 would be the result.

Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

by Dominik on Aug 27, 2009 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

He may hold his record for a while

I’m too lazy to verify it, but according to Wikipedia,

“Sillinger was known as a “journeyman”, having played for 12 different teams, as well as been traded nine times during his NHL career, both of which stand as league records"

by SJKel on Aug 26, 2009 8:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs