Former Detroit Red Wings center Sam Gagner has retired after 17 NHL seasons and joined the Ottawa Senators as director of player development.
Gagner, 35, played parts of three seasons in Detroit from 2020-2022, appearing in 129 games, picking up 21 goals and 45 points
Gagner played 1,043 games with Edmonton, Arizona, Philadelphia, Columbus, Vancouver, Detroit and Winnipeg, collecting 197 goals and 529 points. The sixth overall pick by the Oilers in 2007, he had the misfortune of playing on a lot of bad teams and appeared in only 11 playoff games.
Gagner had 10 assists in 19 games for Belleville, the Senators’ AHL affiliate, last season.
“Sam had an incredible career as a player and we look forward to launching his next chapter,” Senators general manager Steve Staios said. “A true character individual, Sam has contributed to the success of his organizations, both on and off the ice.”
Gagner’s eight points (four goals, four assists) in Edmonton’s 8-4 victory over Chicago on Feb. 2, 2013, is the most by any player since Mario Lemieux’s eight-point game for Pittsburgh in 1988.
The Red Wings acquired Gagner and a pair of second-round picks from the Oilers at the 2020 trade deadline for Andreas Athanasiou and Ryan Kuffner.
