The NHL’s defensive landscape is going to look quite different for the 2022-23 season and beyond.
On Tuesday, P.K. Subban, Zdeno Chara, and Keith Yandle all announced their retirements from the sport of hockey. Through either a strange stroke of fate or a coordinated effort, hockey fans were quite surprised to see all three announce their retirements before 10 a.m. on a weekday morning.
Subban, Chara, and Yandle played a combined 3,977 NHL games (playoffs included) stretching back to 1997-98, when Chara played his rookie season with the New York Islanders. The three have accolades to spare, with Subban and Chara each winning a Norris Trophy in their careers while Yandle, as of September, is the NHL’s current Iron Man, having played the most consecutive games (989) in league history.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CiuoO13glSf/
Thank You! pic.twitter.com/rpyePEKvyG
— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) September 20, 2022
After playing 1,109 games as well as setting a new Ironman record, Keith Yandle has announced his retirement from the NHL.
Congratulations on a great career! đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/0NGmfvM6eU
— NHL (@NHL) September 20, 2022
Times certainly are changing when three pillars of the NHL’s defensive corps all retire on the same day! Hockey fans made sure to salute Subban, Chara, and Yandle for their illustrious careers on social media after the announcements were made.