Pittsburgh Penguins forward forced to retire from medical condition

pascal dupuis nhl retirement

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis was forced to retire from the NHL. He called it a career because of a medical condition related to blood clots.

Dupuis played only 16 games last season, and returned for 18 games this season, but continued to deal with medical conditions related to the clot. Dr. Dharmesh Vyas, the Penguins team physician, said the decision to retire is in the best interest of his health:

Despite playing on a medical protocol that has worked for other players in the NHL, we feel that the risk of Pascal playing with his condition and the side effects of the tests to monitor him are just not in the best interest of his long-term health.

Dupuis' $3.75M cap hit contract will be placed on LTIR and the Penguins will have more cap space to upgrade their defense. Dupuis commented on his retirement:

It was very difficult for me to make this decision to have to step away from the game. My wife and four children have always been my first priority, and playing with my condition has become a constant worry for all of us. I want to thank my teammates and the Penguins organization for their unwavering support during this difficult time.

The 36 year old winger finished his career with 190 goals and 409 points in 871 games, and a Stanley Cup ring in 2009.