Report: Stanley Cup champion and veteran of 900+ games may be forced to retire

Chicago Blackhawks veteran Michael Roszival’s NHL career may be over. The 39-year-old Stanley Cup champion failed his team physical earlier this week with an apparent “upper body injury” and now head coach Joel Quenneville is admitting that the Czech defender may be finished.

If Roszival is unable to play this season, there’s little chance of him sticking around int he longterm and is likely done. If true, it’s an awful way for the veteran of 963 career games to go out. Taken in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Roszival has suited up for four NHL teams during his career including the Penguins, New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes and finally the Blackhawks.  

The defensive defenseman never really brought much offense to the table and struggled with injuries the last few seasons of his career, but he’ll be remembered as a great teammate and a true warrior on the ice.