Marcel Goc, the longtime centre who was part of the first wave of German NHL stars during his NHL career from 2004-15, announced his retirement from Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, capping a 22 season pro hockey career.

Goc, a first round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2001, joined the Sharks in the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs after beginning his career with Schwenninger and Mannheim of the German league, joining the Sharks full time in 2005. Goc would spend four full seasons in San Jose before signing with the Nashville Predators in 2009, followed up by signing with the Florida Panthers in 2011. Goc was a late trade piece to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014, spending only parts of two seasons before joining the St. Louis Blues in late 2015. After his St. Louis stint, Goc signed a five year contract to return to Adler Mannheim, of which he played four incomplete seasons due to a nagging ACL injury and post-surgical recovery. Goc finished his career with 188 points in 636 career NHL games.

Goc first joined the national team at the World Under-18 Junior Championship in 2000, playing at the 2001 World Championship on the senior team at age 18 (as well as at both the 2001 Olympic and World Junior Championship Qualifiers at 19) before even playing in the 2003 World Junior Championship in Halifax. Goc would play at eight World Championships between 2001 and 2016, three Olympics (2006, 2010, 2018) and the 2004 World Cup Of Hockey, often with older brother Sascha and younger brother Nikolai, and captaining the Olympic teams in 2006 and 2018. It was his final national team appearance in PyeongChang that saw Goc captain the Träger der Adler to a shocking Silver medal finish, just barely missing out on Gold in an overtime thriller against the Olympic Athletes From Russia.

Like his fellow countryman and recent retiree Christian Ehrhoff, while playing for the IHLC many times over his lengthy career, Goc would only win the title once in Germany’s 2018 Olympic Semifinal victory, ending a decade-plus long IHLC drought for the Träger der Adler. We wish Marcel and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: Getty Images – IIHF – HHOF – IOC