Breaking news: After over 1300 games and over 1000 points NHL veteran has announced his retirement.

According to a report from ESPN's Pierre Lebrun Ray Whitney has officially announced his retirement at 42 years of age. Whitney who won a cup in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes, played a total of 1,330 games in his NHL career racking up 1,064 points numbers that become even more impressive when you consider he was waived early in his career. Whiteney spoke to ESPN and made this statement:

"For the past 23 years, I have had the privilege of earning my living playing hockey in the National Hockey League," Whitney said in a statement released by his agency, CAA Sports. "Along the way, I have made countless memories and friendships, which I will always cherish. Every city I played in, the fans welcomed my family and me with open arms, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. "I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of my teammates and coaches, especially the 2006 Stanley Cup team in Carolina. I was lucky to have great agents at CAA Sports, who stood by me through the good times and the tough times. I want to say a special thank you to my parents, who gave me the chance to do what I loved. "Finally, I want to thank my wife Brijet, and our three beautiful children, who have been incredibly supportive of me throughout my career. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to live my dream."

We of course wish Whitney all the best in this the next stage of his life.