Gagner retires after 17 seasons, joins Senators' front office

Sam Gagner retired Thursday after 17 NHL seasons and joined the Ottawa Senators as the team's director of player development.

Gagner played 19 games with the Senators' AHL affiliate this campaign after being on a professional tryout with the Carolina Hurricanes during training camp. The 35-year-old also suited up for Canada at the Spengler Cup.

The London, Ontario, native accumulated 197 goals and 529 points in his 1,043-game career over parts of 17 seasons. He suited up for the Edmonton Oilers, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, and Winnipeg Jets.

Gagner scored four goals and eight points on Feb. 2, 2012, against the Chicago Blackhawks to tie the Oilers' single-game scoring record. He still holds the mark alongside Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey. Gagner remains the only player to score eight or more points in a game since Mario Lemieux in 1989.

A standout with the London Knights, Gagner was drafted sixth overall by Edmonton in 2007. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Oilers, and returned to Edmonton for two more stints in 2018-19 and 2023-24.

Gagner notched a career-high 18 goals and 50 points in 81 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17. His best campaign came in 2012-13, when he tallied 14 goals and 38 points in 48 contests with Edmonton.

Internationally, Gagner won gold with Canada at the 2007 world juniors and silver at the 2008 World Championship, and he claimed the Spengler Cup in 2012 during the NHL lockout.