When we watch our favorite players on the ice, they seem invincible, and it is difficult to even imagine them outside of the rink. But like many athletes, once their playing days are over NHL players must find a way to occupy their time in retirement. Some look to stay in the game as a coach or scout, or even as a broadcaster who is able to give fans an insider’s insight into the game. Some like to become entrepreneurs and head into the business world, and some like to just fade into the background and enjoy their private lives with family. Let’s take a look at some of our favourite players, and where they are now.
Paul Bissonnette
On the ice, Bissonnette was never a superstar. He was a role player, a grinder, a tough guy that had 22 total points and 340 penalty minutes in only 202 NHL games. Although he didn’t make our best NHL enforcer list, Bissonnette could hold his own when the gloves were dropped. But after the NHL, it’s hard to find an NHL player that has had more of an impact on pop culture. BizNasty as he’s also known, began his post-NHL career as a broadcaster for the Arizona Coyotes radio team, but quickly found his niche as an entertainer on Twitter and Instagram. These days, Bissonnette is best known for being one part of the Spittin Chiclets’ podcast on the popular Barstool Sports site, alongside another ex player, Ryan Whitney. The two famously came up with the mega popular Pink Whitney, which is a pink lemonade flavoured vodka they branded with New Amsterdam.
Jarome Iginla
A bonafide superstar when he was on the ice, Iggy is perhaps best known for setting up Sidney Crosby’s golden goal at the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver. He is the all-time point leader for the Calgary Flames and in rare company as a career 600 goal scorer. It may surprise some to hear that Iginla actually stayed to live in Boston with his family after playing there for the last season of his career, rather than move back to the Westcoast of Canada where he is deeply associated. This summer, Iginla is finally moving back to Kelowna, BC where he is set to coach the U15 Prep team at the RINK Hockey Academy, as well as assist with coaching with the U18 Prep team. Iginla has often cited the coaches he has played for throughout his career as having a positive impact on his life, so he wishes to return the favour now that he has hung up the skates for good.
Sergei Federov
One of the greatest Russian players to ever play in the NHL, Federov was a 3-time Stanley Cup champion with the Detroit Red Wings and was known for his smooth skating and hockey sense. Off the ice he was just as flashy being linked to Anna Kournikova and Tara Reid back in the day. In 2009, Federov made global headlines as he filed lawsuits against convicted con artist Joseph Zada for $60 million, although he has yet to collect a dime. Currently, Federov has stayed within the game as the general manager for CSKA Moscow of the KHL, and still spends some of his summers in Detroit and Miami when he gets the chance. Red Wings fans have expressed publicly that they would like to see Federov’s iconic #91 jersey number retired by the organization.
Teemu Selanne
The Finnish Flash broke onto the NHL scene as one of the most exciting players in the history of the game. His 76 goal rookie campaign may never be topped, and his hall of fame career ended with 1457 points in 1451 career games. These days, Selanne is keeping busy by managing multiple restaurants in the Orange County, California area, where his family lives after his long tenure with the Anaheim Ducks. Selanne is a cultural icon in Finland and is often credited with the surge in popularity amongst youth that has led to the country having such a strong International hockey presence over the past couple of decades. In fact, a documentary about Selanne’s life is the highest grossing documentary ever in Finland, and was the third highest grossing Finnish film of the year. In 2019, Selanne even wrote an autobiography titled, “Teemu Selanne: My Life”, so needless to say he has been keeping himself busy after hockey.
Roberto Luongo
Luongo’s career has always been a hot topic to debate amongst hockey fans as the fourth overall pick in the 1997 NHL draft never managed to win a Stanley Cup like other great French Canadian goalies like Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. But by the end of his career, Luongo was third in NHL history in wins with 489, and had a very impressive career GAA of 2.52. Luongo was long suspected to be the owner of the Strombone1 Twitter account when he was in Vancouver, and he finally later confirmed this. The account was widely known for its quick-witted hockey related humour and commentary, as well as self-deprecating humour once he had revealed it was his account. Luongo resides in Parkland, Florida with his wife Gina and their children, but until recently, Luongo had kept a low profile and stayed away from the game. Recently Luongo was named an Assistant General Manager for Hockey Canada, and will be assisting with building a team for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. You may remember that Luongo was the goaltender that led Team Canada to the 2010 Olympic Gold Medal in Vancouver, so Luongo’s involvement with Hockey Canada should come as no surprise.
