After 17 seasons in the National Hockey League and a Stanley Cup to his name, defenseman Dan Boyle has decided to retire. The 40-year-old played for the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers during his esteemed career. He truly valued his time playing in the NHL, but Boyle says he wants to spend more time with his wife Amber and their two young daughters.
Boyle was actually NOT drafted by any NHL teams after playing four years of collegiate hockey at Miami University in Ohio. He was signed by the Florida Panthers as a free agent in March 1998. In the 2001-02 season, Boyle was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2003 fifth round pick. He later won the Stanley Cup with the Bolts in the 2003-04 season.
In the summer of 2008, Boyle was then traded to the San Jose Sharks for Matt Carle and two picks. In the 2008-09 season, Dan led his entire team in defensemen in goals, assists, and points. After spending six season in southern California, Dan Boyle’s rights were traded to the New York Islanders on June 5th, 2014. The Islanders and Boyle could not agree to a contract, and he headed to free agency until the New York Rangers signed him just 26 days later to a two-year deal.
Boyle truly had a fantastic career and he will certainly be missed out on the ice. In fact, this may make Tampa Bay Lightning fans feel old: the core four of their last cup winning team; Martin St. Louis, Dan Boyle, Brad Richards, and Vincent LeCavalier are all retired. Wow. Here’s wishing Dan Boyle all the very best!
