Longtime NHL veteran Loui Eriksson officially packs it in, snubs Canucks in retirement announcement

This just in, longtime NHL forward Loui Eriksson has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey.

The 39 year old last played in the 2021-22 season with the Arizona Coyotes.

"It's time," Eriksson said in a post by CAA Hockey on Instagram. "After a year and a half of reflection, it's time to officially retire. Hockey has given me more than I could have ever imagined. I've had the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but at the end of the day, I'm so thankful for the memories that I'm bringing as I walk away from the game of hockey."

Eriksson's best stretch of his career came from 2008 until about 2012 when he was with the Dallas Stars, the tea who drafted him in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He earned a spot in 2011 NHL All-Star Game with a career high 73 point season. 

He was part of a blockbuster trade in 2013, when the Stars sent him to the Boston Bruins as part of a deal for Tyler Seguin. His time in Dallas and Boston earned him a six year, $36 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks. A deal that ended up going horribly wrong for the Canucks.

Eriksson was signed to complement the team's top scorers Henrik and Daniel Sedin, but the fit just never worked. ERiksson neer managed more than 11 goals and 29 points in any of his seasons in Vancouver and was relegated to meme-status by the team's fanbase in short order.

In his retirement announcement, Eriksson notably did not mention the Canucks or the city of Vancouver... despite the fact that he made over half of his career earnings in just five years with the team.

"A special thank you to the Dallas Stars organization for helping me as a young man transition into the life of an athlete in the states, for believing in me and giving me a chance to play in the NHL and making my dreams come true," Eriksson said. "The city of Dallas and the friends I crossed paths with through the years will forever have a special place in my heart."