Former Leafs goalie and World Junior superstar Justin Pogge officially retires

Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender and World Junior Championships superstar Justin Pogge has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons.

Pogge, of course, represents one of the all-time cautionary tales about committing to a young goaltender based on a small sample size. Pogge played absolutely out of his mind for Team Canada during a six game stretch at the 2006 World Junior Championships in 2006. In fact, he was so good that the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team who drafted him 90th overall in 2004, anointed him as their 'goalie of the future' and traded top prospect Tuukka Rask to the Boston Bruins. We all know how that turned out, right?

Rask turned into a perennial Vezina Trophy candidate and Pogge ended up playing just seven NHL games.

Woof...

Pogge went on to have a moderately successful pro career in playing mostly in a backup role during stints in the AHL, ECHL, Swedish Elite League, German DEL and even the KHL. Now, he's hanging up the white cowlings for good and he opened up to Ian Mendes of The Athletic to reflect on his career.

“I was trying to slide under the radar. It’s not that I can’t play anymore. But it’s time for me to take advantage to take an unbelievable opportunity,” says Pogge. “It’s time for a new chapter.”

Pogge now has landed the job of goaltending coach for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships. He also served as the goalie coach for Team Canada at the U18 championships in Switzerland last month. The young man who made a name for himself wearing a Hockey Canada jersey is now a 37 year old man with a renewed commitment to the organization that made him a household name.

“I’ve been around the game for a long time and I feel like I can pass some of my knowledge along,” says Pogge. “It’s been nice to get thrown in and get my experience this way.”

As for what went wrong with the Leafs, Pogge admits now that he simply wasn't ready for the bright lights of Toronto and the pressure that comes with it. The team placed a lot of weight on the young goalie's shoulders and he now admits that it was simply too much for him to bear.

"I was very happy to be part of Toronto,” says Pogge. “I think I was in the right place, just at the wrong time. I wasn’t the goalie yet that I wanted to be in Toronto. That came later down the line,” says Pogge. “When I was 21, I wasn’t as good as I was when I was 27.”

Now that his playing days are over though, Pogge looks back in fondness at his pro career and, indeed, his incredible run with Team Canada in 2006.

“It was definitely the highlight of my career. And when you do that at 19, it was tough to live up to that,” says Pogge. “But I’m grateful. It’s been a winding road.”

I’m grateful for my career,” says Pogge. “I played 17 years of professional hockey. Not many people can say that.”

Amen to that! All the best in retirement, Justin! You certainly seem well suited to help Hockey Canada's young goaltenders understand and deal with the stress that comes with playing hockey's most important position.