Loui Eriksson is officially hanging up the skates.
In a letter posted on Instagram Monday by CAA Hockey, the 39-year-old announced his formal retirement from the NHL after 16 seasons, including five spent with the Vancouver Canucks:
It’s time…After a year and a half 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 originally signed a six-year, $36 million contract with the Canucks on July 1, 2016, as a UFA coming from the rival Boston Bruins.
The Swedish winger joined the team after having previous success at the international level playing alongside Daniel and Henrik Sedin. This success included winning gold at the 2013 IIHF World Championship and bringing home a silver at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics (though Henrik Sedin was absent from this roster due to injury).
At the Olympics, he scored two goals and added an assist in six games played, most notably scoring the tying goal for Sweden in the semifinals against Finland, a game they would win by a slim 2-1 scoreline.
Despite struggling with injuries throughout his time in Vancouver, he managed 90 points in 252 games with the franchise. On July 23, 2021, he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes, where he would play his final season in the NHL. After going unsigned in the 2022 offseason, he re-joined his first club, Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League, where he would go on to finish his career.
The Dallas Stars drafted Eriksson in the second round of the 2003 NHL draft. He played seven seasons in Texas before being traded to Boston in the blockbuster Tyler Seguin trade. In 1,050 NHL games, he scored 253 goals and 360 assists for 613 points, adding 14 points in 44 playoff games.
In closing his letter, he turned his attention to his family and what the future holds:
A new beginning has already started and I’m so excited and proud to be my kids biggest supporter. To watch them do what they love and be there for them with love, laughter, support and motivation just like they were always there for me when I needed them the most.
With his eyes already on the next generation, Eriksson has plenty to be proud of from his long and storied career.
