Kevin Bieksa to sign one-day contract to retire as a Vancouver Canuck

Former NHL defenceman Kevin Bieksa will sign a one-day contract with his longtime club, the Vancouver Canucks, to retire as a member of the team this fall.

Bieksa, who now works for Sportsnet as a television hockey analyst and personality, will be honoured by the Canucks prior to their game against the Anaheim Ducks at Rogers Arena on Nov. 3. The 41-year-old played with both Vancouver and Anaheim during his NHL career.

The Canucks originally selected Bieksa in the fifth round (No. 151 overall) of the 2001 NHL Draft. He debuted with the club in the 2005–06 season and ultimately spent the first 10 years of his National Hockey League career in Vancouver, topping 40 points three times and playing a huge part in the Canucks reaching the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

Bieksa memorably scored the overtime winner against the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of the 2011 Western Conference Final to send Vancouver to the championship series against the Boston Bruins. He amassed five goals and 10 points in 25 games during the Canucks’ incredible 2011 run.

The Canucks traded Bieksa to Anaheim on June 30, 2015, receiving a 2016 second-round draft selection in exchange. Bieksa spent the final three seasons of his NHL career with the Ducks, helping the club reach the playoffs each year.

In 808 career NHL regular-season games with Vancouver and Anaheim, Bieksa scored 63 goals and 278 points. He added 10 goals and 30 points in 86 playoff games over 10 post-season appearances.