Ex-Flame Deryk Engelland announces retirement

Following an eventful 17-year pro career, former Calgary Flames blueliner Deryk Engelland announced his retirement on Tuesday.

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.

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.