NHL journeyman forward Derick Brassard “Brassard has retired from the NHL,” he told Matthias Brunet of Canada's La Presse. The news means Brassard will not be able to return to the game after tearing ankle ligaments in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 30, 2023. It was the same injury that caused the Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman to retire from the NHL. Mikhail Sergachev He missed the start of this season, and Brassard said the two had been in contact to discuss his recovery. Brassard added that the coaching and lineup changes weren't worth risking his health, but he felt he could play later this season. He told Bruenette: “I [playing] It's heavy. I was playing as many games as I could on the therapist's table. It's frustrating not to give 100% in a match. But I still scored 13 goals. [in 63 games] It was my last year. I could have tried harder, but I had had enough with my ankle. I didn't want to risk another surgery.”
Brassard is wrapping up a productive career in hockey that began when he was selected 6th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2006 NHL Draft. Brassard played one more year of junior hockey before turning professional in the 2007-08 season. In his first pro season, he appeared in 17 NHL games but spent most of his time in the minor leagues, appearing in 55 games in the regular season and playoffs and scoring 64 points. That strong year will be remembered as the only AHL season of Brassard's career. He quickly proved himself fit for a role in Columbus' middle six in 2008. He spent the next five seasons there before being traded to the New York Rangers in 2013. Marian Gaborik Brassard had his best year in New York, scoring a career-high 60 points in 2014-15 and totaling 44 points in 59 postseason games during his four years with the club.
Brassard left New York in 2016 to travel the NHL, playing seven more seasons but never spending more than two years with the same club. He played for the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers, but was never able to replicate the personal or team success he found in New York. He finished his career with 215 goals, 545 points and 465 penalty minutes in 1,013 games.
