Blackhawks forward Pat Maroon plans to retire after this season, wrapping up a career headlined by three Stanley Cup championships.
Maroon broke the news during an interview with Chicago Sports Network analyst Darren Pang before the Hawks-Blues matchup Saturday in his hometown of St. Louis.
“Sometimes you’ve got to give up everything you know and everything you’ve dreamed of your whole life,” Maroon told Pang. “I just know it’s time for me, and it’s time for my family to go start a new chapter in our lives.
“I’m just going to finish this year like every game is my last game. I’m going to play as hard as I can. … This is all I know, Panger, so it’s tough. It’s hard to go through things like this. You can’t really process it. But it’s best for me and my family to go start a new chapter.”
Maroon, who will turn 37 in April, will conclude his career after 14 NHL seasons with eight different organizations. He started with the Ducks before winning titles with the Blues and Lightning (twice).
His Hawks season will be a mere footnote in his biography; he has recorded 16 points (four goals and 12 assists) in 60 games in a fourth-line role this season. Saturday’s game marked only the second time in the last six games that he wasn’t a healthy scratch.
Maroon and his wife, Francesca, had a daughter in 2021 and are expecting another child this spring.
This story will be updated.