Breaking: Former Stanley Cup Final hero announces retirement

Former Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres forward Ville Leino has announced his retirement from professional hockey. The 33-year-old Finnish forward played 286 games in the nHL putting up 40 goals and 119 points. Most hockey fans though will remember him from the Flyers’ magical Stanley Cup Playoff run of 2010 when Leino managed 21 points in 19 games before the Flyers ultimately fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final.

Immediately following that showing Leino signed a MASSIVE six-year, $27 million deal with the Sabres, which the team would buy-out just three years later. In fact, the Sabres are still paying Leino and annual salary of approximately $1.2 million through the 2019-20 season.

Following his buy-out, Leino has split the past five seasons between the KHL, Swiss A League and the Swedish Elite League. Last season he played with the Vaxjo Lakers of the SEL putting up eight goals and 23 points in 44 games.