Brian Gionta, 39, announced his retirement from a storybook career that saw him win an NCAA title at Boston College, a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils and represent the United States in two Winter Olympic Games.
Gionta, 39, the Greece native and Aquinas Institute product, is expected to announce his retirement from a storybook career that saw him win an NCAA title at Boston College, a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils and represent the United States in two Winter Olympic Games.
Gionta’s NHL career spanned 1,026 games with four teams: New Jersey, Montreal, Buffalo and Boston. He scored 595 points on 291 goals and 304 assists.
He notched seven 20-goal seasons. In 2005-06, he scored 48 goals for the Devils. He was captain of both Montreal and Buffalo.
After three seasons with the Sabres, he was not re-signed last year. He had one-year offers to join other NHL clubs and serve the role of veteran leader but declined to uproot his family.
He and his wife, Harvest, have three young children and reside in the Buffalo area.
That set in a motion a unique and personally gratifying 2017-18 season in which Gionta practiced with his hometown Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League for four months before suiting up for Team USA in the Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea last winter and wearing the “C.’’
In order to tune-up for the Olympics, Gionta signed a one-day contract with the Amerks and on Feb. 2 before 10,000 fans at Blue Cross Arena, scored on a nifty breakaway in a 4-2 loss to Toronto.
Post-Olympics, Gionta signed with the Bruins, returning to the city of his college days, another dream come true. He played in 20 games and scored two goals with five assists for seven points.
LROTH@Gannett.com