Following an eventful 17-year pro career, former Calgary Flames blueliner Deryk Engelland announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Memories for a lifetime. Thank you, Deryk! 😃
More on Engelland's retirement 👉 https://t.co/9x4gRJTcCn #VegasStrong | #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/OA6YnhQ4QD
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) December 22, 2020
Engelland, 38, was an Edmonton kid and played his junior with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Drafted by New Jersey in 2000 but never signed, he caught on with the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers for a spell, attending some Flames rookie camps at the time.
He eventually found a niche as a physical depth defender and spent 671 games in the NHL between stints in Pittsburgh, Calgary and Vegas. He signed with the Flames in the summer of 2014, getting a cap hit a smidge more than a lot of fans were initially comfortable with.
To be clear, Engelland's AAV is $2.9M. That's per year.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2014
While his offense never quite lived up to his cap hit, Engelland becam a cult hero of sorts for some of his physical antics in the 2015 playoffs against Vancouver.
Engelland left the Flames when he was selected by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft. He moved to Vegas after his time with the Wranglers, and he ended up being a huge hometown hero and emotional leader for the Golden Knights during a tumultuous first season in the league.
Engelland has taken a gig with the Golden Knights’ charitable foundation, so he’ll continue to be a positive presence in his home community.