Stanley Cup Champion Retires After 17 Seasons

Andrew Cogliano is hanging up his skates after 17 years in the NHL.

On Friday, the Avalanche shared that their soon-to-be free-agent forward will retire and take on a new role in player development and scouting. In a heartfelt statement, Cogliano expressed his gratitude: “The game of hockey has given me and my family so much and I am grateful for every moment. I am blessed to have played for so long with some great organizations and amazing teammates,” he said. “I will miss being with the guys in the dressing room and battling for each other on the ice every night but it’s time to move on. Thank you to everyone I ever played with, played for and all the great fans for all of their support. I am excited to start my new chapter in the front office.”

Drafted by the Oilers in 2005, Cogliano had an unusual path as one of few first-round picks from lower-level juniors. He scored 102 points in 49 games with St. Michael’s Buzzers before moving to college hockey at Michigan, where he shined again. Turning pro with Edmonton in 2007-08, he played all 82 games as a rookie—a trend that continued throughout his career.

Cogliano’s rookie season saw him finish ninth in Calder Trophy voting with 45 points, marking his career-high. Known for versatility during Edmonton’s ‘Decade of Darkness,’ he played every forward position over four years without missing a game before being traded to Anaheim.

Career Highlights:

In Anaheim, while his offense was inconsistent, he did achieve a personal best with a 20-goal season in 2013-14. His reliability remained unmatched; his iron man streak only ended due to suspension during his eleventh NHL season (2017-18). Even as age caught up , Cogliano proved valuable as a penalty-killing forward for teams like the Stars, Sharks, and finally Avalanche.

Fans might feel proud hearing about Cogliano’s contributions during Colorado’s Stanley Cup run last year—three goals and six points across 16 playoff games helped secure their first title in nearly two decades.

Now at age 37, Cogliano wraps up an impressive career spanning 1,294 games (tied for 75th all-time), scoring 190 goals along with 274 assists totaling up to 464 points—and not forgetting those crucial penalty minutes (449 PIMs) while averaging just over fourteen minutes per game.

We wish Andrew Cogliano all success as he transitions into this new chapter off-ice! What do you think about his journey?