Dion Phaneuf officially retires, comments on his pro career

Despite the fact that he hasn't played in the NHL since the 2018-19 season, Dion Phaneuf had never officially retired from playing hockey, until now. Phaneuf tells the Toronto Sun he's now officially retired and is proud of his career. However, he has one regret.

In November of 2014, amid a horrible time for the Leafs, fans were coming down hard on the team. There were boos from the home crowd almost every night and jersey-tossing became somewhat of a sport in Toronto. Instead of raising their sticks to the crowd after a game in a salute, the team chose to just skate off the ice instead, essentially letting the crowd know they weren't happy with the treatment they were getting.

"That still bothers me," Phaneuf told the Toronto Sun . "I was the captain. I didn't handle that well. I should have been better. I needed to be. I take responsibility for that. If I could ever have a do-over, that's the one I'd want. That's the one I've thought about a lot."

Still Phaneuf says he's proud of his accomplishments in the league.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," said Phaneuf. "I'm proud of my career. I'm proud to be the guy who dreamt about playing in the NHL when I was skating on the outdoor rink growing up in Edmonton. You look back at everything at a time like this. I owe a lot to Brent Sutter for teaching me in junior how to be a pro. I owe a lot to some of the unbelievable teammates I had, like Jarome Iginla."

Phaneuf played for four team in total throughout his career: Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and the LA Kings. His longest tenure was with the Leafs and the team is set to honour him before a game Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators.

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