After injuries hampered his NHL prospects, sending him to two seasons in Europe, Canadian journeyman winger Tyler Ennis today confirmed his retirement from hockey at age 34, following a 15 year pro career with seven different teams, along with a pair of Gold medals won with Team Canada.

A first round pick of Buffalo in 2008, Ennis dazzled when debuting for the Sabres the following year, with his speed and skill outshining his 5’9 frame, quickly becoming a fan favourite. Ennis would spend eight seasons with the Sabres, his longest with any club, before signing with Minnesota in 2017. He would then spend his last five seasons across four clubs, with stints on the Wild, Toronto, Edmonton and Ottawa, with injuries preventing him from completing a full season. After partial seasons with Bern of the Swiss League and Mannheim of the German League, Ennis confirmed online he was hanging up his skates, following exactly 700 NHL career games, notching 144 goals and 346 points.

An Edmonton native, Ennis first suited up for Team Canada’s under-17 squad in 2006, making the Junior national team in 2009. In the nation’s capital of Ottawa, Ennis notched seven points in six games to help Canada go undefeated en route to their record fifth straight Gold medal. In his lone senior team appearance, Ennis would again help Canada go undefeated, scoring six points in ten straight wins en route to Gold at the 2015 Worlds in Prague, scoring what would be the game winner in a 6-1 thrashing of Russia.

Only being on two national teams, Ennis only captured the IHLC twice in his career, first in the lead-up to the 2009 World Juniors in Toronto, and then in the group round of the 2015 Worlds. We wish Eric and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: IIHF Worlds 2015 – IIHF – HHOF – IOC