Journeyman Slovak goaltender Jaroslav Halák, who backstopped seven different NHL teams and the Slovakian national squad for twenty pro seasons, today confirmed his retirement from hockey, two years after his last professional game.

Coming up in Slovan Bratislava’s junior system, Halák moved to North America following being drafted 271st overall by Montréal in 2003, emerging from the Canadiens’ second tier farm team in 2005 to becoming a regular starter by the 2008-09 season. Halák backstopped the Habs to a historic playoff run in 2010, eliminating the Presidents Trophy-winning Capitals in one of the biggest upsets in NHL history, but pending free agency, paired with Montréal’s then-up and coming prospect Carey Price, meant Halák was expendable, controversially being traded to St. Louis. Halák would never recapture his playoff magic, only returning to the postseason three more times. Halák would spend three seasons in St. Louis, 12 games in Washington, four seasons with the New York Islanders, three seasons in Boston, and one season each with Vancouver and the New York Rangers, failing to join another team after 2023. Over 17 NHL seasons, Halák would amass an impressive .915 save percentage and 295 wins in 581 career games, along with 17 wins and a .919 save percentage in 39 career playoff games, winning two Jennings Trophies in 2012 and 2020, and being named an NHL All-Star in 2015.

A Bratislava native, Halák debuted for the national junior club at the 2002 World Under-18 Championships, participating at the World Junior Championships in both 2004 and 2005, saving Slovakia from relegation in the latter. He made his senior debut at the 2007 World Championships, his first of three appearances (2007, 2009, 2011), but it was his Olympic debut in 2010 that solidified him as something of a national hero, upsetting defending champions Sweden in the quarterfinal to send Slovakia to its first Olympic medal game in history. Halák would again appear at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and would act as spoiler again two years later at the 2016 World Cup Of Hockey, backstopping the patchwork “Team Europe” to a surprising second-place finish, once again eliminating Sweden.

Depsite his lengthy career, Halák would only capture the IHLC twice – first at the 2005 World Juniors, and then five years later on his historic run at the Vancouver Olympics. We wish Jaroslav and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: NBC Sports – IIHF – HHOF – IOC