Longtime NHL forward retires after 13 seasons

A veteran of nearly 900 games at the NHL level, the NHLPA reports that forward Derek Stepan has officially hung up his skates. A veteran of 13 seasons, Stepan spent his career with the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, and the Carolina Hurricanes.

A product of the Wisconsin University Badgers of the NCAA, Stepan had a solid collegiate career, scoring 12 goals and 42 assists in 41 games in his final year, taking his team to the National Championship in 2010, eventually losing to the Boston College Eagles. Two years prior to his career in Wisconsin, the Rangers had drafted Stepan with the 51st overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft.

After his collegiate career came to an end, Stepan would join New York for the 2010-11 season, playing in all 82 games, scoring 21 goals and 24 assists, finishing 13th in Calder Trophy voting at season’s end. He would continue his streak of playing in every regular season game, never missing a minute of action throughout the 2013-14 season. Having already established himself as one of the best center options for the Rangers, he would help lead the team to the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, losing in five games to the Los Angeles Kings.

Separating himself as both a leader and a solid contributor on offense, New York rewarded Stepan financially, signing him to a six-year, $39MM extension in the summer before the 2015-16 campaign. Unfortunately for both him and the organization, he would only last two years under that deal with the Rangers, as the team entered a rebuilding phase shortly thereafter. In the offseason after the 2016-17 season, New York traded Stepan, along with goaltender Antti Raanta, to the Coyotes for Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh overall selection in that year’s draft (used to select Lias Andersson).

Quickly becoming one of the better players on Arizona’s roster, Stepan rewarded the summer acquisition, scoring 14 goals and 42 assists with the Coyotes in his first season. During his three-year stay in the Desert, Stepan would play a total of 154 games, scoring 29 goals and 62 assists overall, leading the Coyotes to the playoffs only once in the 2019-20 campaign. With only one more season remaining on his contract extension, Arizona sent Stepan packing again to Ottawa for a second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.

His time with the Senators was underwhelming, as Stepan struggled mightily in the pandemic-shortened season, citing the difficulties of being away from family in such a tumultuous world climate. Well outside the playoff picture, Ottawa explored trade ideas for Stepan at the deadline, but his season would be ended completely in late February due to a shoulder injury.

Hitting the unrestricted free agent market for the first time in his career, Stepan would sign back-to-back one-year deals with the Hurricanes, hoping to compete for a Stanley Cup to conclude his career. Spending a majority of his time in a bottom-six role, Carolina relied heavily on Stepan’s leadership and experience to help grow the young crop of Hurricanes coming into the league.

In the entirety of his career, Stepan will finish with 890 regular season games played, scoring 182 goals and 333 assists, earning several votes for the Lady Byng as well as the Selke Trophy throughout his career. Aside from the regular season, Stepan would play in 120 playoff games, scoring 20 goals and 35 assists overall, including one trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.

We at Pro Hockey Rumors congratulate Stepan on a respectable career, and we wish him the best as he moves into the next chapter of his life.