After nine seasons in the NHL, Blackhawks forward Daniel Carcillo officially announced his retirement Thursday in an article published in The Players' Tribune.
Carcillo, 30, called it a "Bittersweet Day," walking away from the game he loves, but is ready to focus full-time on something much bigger off the ice.
In honor of his former teammate and close friend Steve Montador, who died in February and suffered from depression, Carcillo created a not-for-profit organization called Chapter 5, which helps former and current players transition to life after hockey.
[MORE: Carcillo opens up about Montador, calls for change]
“Today, I’m retiring from the National Hockey League,” Carcillo wrote. “My immediate goal is to help athletes transition to the next phase of their life — whether it’s continuing education, finding internships with companies, or networking with other athletes who are dealing with the same issues. My mission is to help guys who are dealing with anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about their future. Not down the line, not next week, but right now.”
Earlier this month, Carcillo spent his day with the Stanley Cup raising money for Chapter 5, which helped kickstart the organization and also helped spread awareness.
After devoting the majority of his time this offseason to Chapter 5 and looking for ways to carry on Montador's legacy, Carcillo says he's ready to take the next step.
NHL
"Thanks to the people of Chicago who came out to get their picture taken with Lord Stanley and who bid on gear donated by my Blackhawks teammates, we raised the first funds to get Chapter 5 off the ground," Carcillo wrote. "The next step is to hire our first full-time staffer and get to work on talking with the leagues and players’ associations across all sports to plan out how we can provide immediate help — how we can connect what’s really going on in locker rooms and behind closed doors with what’s being talked about in conference rooms."
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Carcillo played on five different teams throughout his nine-year NHL career, winning two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. He compiled 100 points (48 goals, 52 assists) and logged 1,233 penalty minutes in 429 career regular-season games.
In his three seasons with the Blackhawks, Carcillo compiled 23 points in 91 regular-season games.
Carcillo was a third-round draft pick (No. 73 overall) in the 2003 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.