The Calgary Flames announced that defenceman Michael Stone has officially retired from professional hockey and will be returning to the team in a player development role.

Stone, the 33-year-old 6-foot-3 defender, played 552 games in the NHL before officially retiring, 228 of which were with the Flames. He played over 50 games only once over his six seasons with the team, which was in 2017-18, where he played all 82 games. In 2022-23, Stone played 48 games, scoring six goals (tied for the second-highest total in his career) and five assists for 11 points.

Before heading to the Flames, Stone played 324 games with the Arizona Coyotes. He scored 24 goals and 72 assists for 96 points, including a season where he posted 36 points in 75 games.

Stone has decided to stick around with the Flames, as he’s joining the organization in a player development role. General manager Craig Conroy now has one spot in the defence corps to fill, but someone who has gone through lots of ups and downs in his career deserves a position like the one Stone is filling, so it’s good to see him sticking around.