The hockey world witnessed a regular season retirement with goaltender Jonathan Quick who started his final regular season game for the New York Rangers against the Florida Panthers on Monday April 30.
Jonathan Quick is from Milford, Connecticut, and retired from the NHL in April at the age of 40 years old, closing his career with the team he hoisted his first Stanley Cup against, as the veteran stable backup to Igor Shesterkin and the New York Rangers.
Quick is a third round draft draft pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, 72nd overall, in the same year as Anze Kopitar with the Los Angeles Kings.
The American goaltender won two Stanley Cups with Los Angeles in 2012 and 2014.
The goaltender was dealt by former teammate and general manager Rob Blake in 2023 to the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 2023 first round draft pick and a 2024 third round draft pick in exchange for goalie Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. The first was flipped to Philadelphia Ivan Provorov. The pick became defenseman Oliver Bonk. The third rounder in 2024 became defenseman Luca Marrelli.
Quick was flipped 24 hours later from Columbus at half salary retained to Vegas for Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 7th round pick of the Golden Knights. Columbus flipped that pick and their own seventh round pick to the Seattle Kraken for the Kraken’s seventh round pick. Columbus selected winger Jeremy Loranger. Seattle selected forward Karl Annborn and Loke Krantz with those picks.
The final three seasons of his career were with the New York Rangers, including a Presidents Trophy and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Quick finished his career with 410 wins, most by any American born goaltender ever, and 12th all time overall in 829 games started. The three time Cup winner also won a Conn Smythe Trophy, two William M. Jennings trophies, and was a two time NHL All Star. Quick also won a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver representing Team USA.
Quick was the first goaltender I was entertained by between his highlight saves and comeback story on the lowest seed Kings in their quest to glory. He had a smaller frame but could move side to side and remained a steady presence in the crease of LA.
He is a proven winner that also embraced jokes in the hockey word about him, including his legendary status with Columbus, and even backed up Hill to win a third Cup in Vegas with former Kings’ teammate Alec Martinez.
Can this change? Certainly, there have been lots on the rise, with Connor Hellebuyck coming in at close second, with Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas right there too. What say you?