Former Islanders Goalie Announces Retirement
A member of the franchise for four seasons, the netminder hangs up the pads following a 17-year NHL career.
Tomáš Prokop (@Lewysko) on X Jaroslav Halák has officially retired at age 40. He played in the NHL from 2006 to 2023, appeared in 581 games, suited up for eight teams, and won the William M. Jennings Trophy twice. He confirmed it to me in an interview for @DennikSport
Halak joined the Islanders in the 2014 offseason as part of an offseason overhaul, joining the Islanders in the summer of 2014 in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
Halak and Chad Johnson were the new names in goal for the team, joining incoming defensemen Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk and forwards Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski. Halak became the new starter in net and immediately paid dividends, making the All-Star Game in his first season. He finished his first season with a 38-17-4 record, 2.43 GAA and .914 SV%. His 38 wins still stand as an Islanders single-season record.
He followed the season up with another solid season, making 36 with an 18-13-4 record with a 2.30 GAA and .919 SV%. However, his season was cut short, suffering a season-ending injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 8, 2016.
Halak's final two years were filled with ups and downs, starting in 2016-17 with an underwhelming start to the season. He started the season 6-8-5 with a 3.23 GAA and .904 SV%, with additional controversy surrounding a three-goalie room with Thomas Greiss and Jean-Francois Berube.
Ultimately, Halak was sent down to AHL Bridgeport on Dec. 30, getting recalled to finish the year in March. He was able to salvage his season with a 12-9-5 record, 2.80 GAA and .915 SV%.
His final year with the team was a down season, mired by underperformance and shaky team defense. The season was his only one with a losing record with the Islanders, finishing with a 20-26-6 record, 3.19 GAA, and .908 SV%. The following offseason, Halak signed a contract with the Boston Bruins, splitting time with Tuukka Rask for three seasons.
Halak finishes his NHL career with a 295-189-69 record in 581 games, posting a 2.50 GAA and .915 SV% across seven different teams. He also split a pair of Jennings Trophies for the fewest goals allowed in the league in the 2011-12 and 2019-20 seasons with Brian Elliott and Rask, respectively.
Matthew Page wrote this story.
PHOTO: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
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