Former New York Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss, whose name dots the upper echelons of the franchise’s record book, announced his retirement from the NHL after 14 seasons on Wednesday.
“There have been some considerations [about playing], but the bottom line is, I looked at a few offers that didn’t really appeal to me,” Greiss said (h/t NHL.com). “As a result, I was ready to make the move and am looking forward to doing some new things in my life. Our job comes with a lot of freedom, but now I can tackle some new challenges.”
The 37-year-old played five seasons with the Islanders from 2016-2020 where he put together the most productive years of his career.
Greiss ranks fifth on the franchise’s list with 193 games played, fifth with 101 wins (101-60-17), third with a .915 save percentage, and seventh with a 2.70 goals-against average. He was also the man in the crease who backstopped the Islanders to their first postseason series win in 23 years after they defeated the Florida Panthers in six games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs
Alongside Robin Lehner, Greiss won the William Jennings Trophy awarded annually to the goalie(s) who allowed the fewest goals in the NHL.
“The year with the Islanders when we won in the first playoff round and of course winning the Jennings Trophy were special years,” Greiss continued. “It was a nice place for me to play in. A good environment and I liked living there. That was certainly one of the highlights for me.”
Greiss was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the third round of the 2004 NHL Draft. He had stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins before joining the Islanders ahead of the 2015-16 season. He signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings ahead of the 2020-21 season, where he stayed for two years, before playing out the final year of his career with the St. Louis Blues.
In 368 regular-season games, he went 162-130-37 with a 2.77 GAA, .911 save percentage, and 16 shutouts.
For more on Thomas Greiss and the Islanders, visit AMNY.com
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