Justin Pogge is a name that Toronto Maple Leafs fans know well. It's a reminder of a goaltender with so much hope and promise that could have been their number one for a long time, but ultimately didn't pan out as many expected.
After a 17-year professional career that saw him play in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, Italy, SHL, HockeyAllsvenskan, KHL and DEL, Pogge has announced his retirement from hockey.
Pogge, 37, appeared in seven games in the NHL for the Maple Leafs during the 2008-09 season where he sported a 1-4-1 record along with a 4.36 GAA and an .844 save percentage. Pogge's time in the Maple Leafs organization came to an end in August 2009 when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, who then moved him to the Hurricanes just seven months later, but he never appeared in an NHL game for either team.
Since the 2019-20 season, Pogge was in the German top division, the DEL and sported fairly good numbers in that league. Just weeks after being eliminated from the DEL playoffs, he joined Canada at the World Championship as their goalie coach.
On the international stage, Pogge represented Canada on a couple of occasions, including the 2006 World Juniors where he went 6-0-0, with three shutouts, helping his nation win the gold medal. He was also named as an alternate to Canada's Olympic roster in 2022 and helped out at practices in a coaching role.
