Former Florida Panthers Forward Suddenly Announces Retirement
Photo credit: Fox
A former forward of the Florida Panthers has suddenly and unexpectedly announced his retirement from the NHL at the young age of 35.
Veteran forward Zac Dalpe made it official Monday in ending his pro career, which spanned 168 NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Florida Panthers.
A second-round pick of Carolina in 2008, Dalpe's initial season in the circuit came in 2010-11. For most of his time in the game, Dalpe swung between the NHL and AHL, most recently for the Panthers in 2022-23, when he played in 13 games for them.
Dalpe was a captain for his AHL club for several seasons
Dalpe had been captain for the AHL Charlotte Checkers since the 2021-22 season and had been held in admiration throughout the organization as a leader.
He had been there full-time in previous campaigns but had been limited in one of those when playing in only nine contests because of injury, where he had one goal and two assists.
He announced his retirement in an open letter written and posted on the Charlotte Checkers' website.
"When I look back and sort of do a synopsis of my career, I honestly don't know where to start," Dalpe wrote. "From getting drafted in 2008 to present day in 2025, so much has happened to me.
"One word that comes to mind is 'grind'. Getting called up to the best league in the world is easy to let pass by. The NHL- The Never Hungry League. You're right there but you're not quite there.
It's a beautiful thing for me. Nothing ever comes easy so why would this? It's just a constant battle of hard work and setbacks. Why have it any other way? No f****** thanks, man.
"I do know a couple things though. One thing is for certain is that I never took a day off. I am by no means trying to sound like a 'hero' by saying that.
But every single day I tried to become a better hockey player. Every movement or decision I made, I tried to look at it through the eyes of a hockey player. I worked as hard as I possibly could.
I owe so much to the game and everything that comes with it. Another thing I know for certain is that I tried to be the best teammate I could and I also never took a day off from that. When my name gets brought up in the future I just hope that those two things are attached to it.
"Nothing ever came natural to me. It was all hard work."
"One word that comes to mind is 'grind'. Getting called up to the best league in the world is easy to let pass by. The NHL- The Never Hungry League. You're right there but you're not quite there.
It's a beautiful thing for me. Nothing ever comes easy so why would this? It's just a constant battle of hard work and setbacks. Why have it any other way? No f****** thanks, man.
"I do know a couple things though. One thing is for certain is that I never took a day off. I am by no means trying to sound like a 'hero' by saying that.
But every single day I tried to become a better hockey player. Every movement or decision I made, I tried to look at it through the eyes of a hockey player. I worked as hard as I possibly could.
I owe so much to the game and everything that comes with it. Another thing I know for certain is that I tried to be the best teammate I could and I also never took a day off from that. When my name gets brought up in the future I just hope that those two things are attached to it.
"Nothing ever came natural to me. It was all hard work."
We wish Dalpe the very best in whatever he chooses to do going forward, and his leadership will hopefully live on for many decades and be passed on to all of the newer generations of players.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 7 | 185 ANSWERS Former Florida Panthers Forward Suddenly Announces Retirement Are you shocked by Zac Dalpe's retirement? | ||
| Yes | 51 | 27.6 % |
| No | 134 | 72.4 % |
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