Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask ending comeback, announces retirement

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The winningest goaltender in Boston Bruins history is calling it a career.

Citing an inability of his body to respond after his recent return to the ice following offseason hip surgery, Tuukka Rask announced his retirement from NHL on Wednesday.

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"Today is a day that I hoped would never come. But now that it’s here, I feel I owe it to everyone to hear it from me," the 34-year-old said in statement tweeted by the team. "Over these last few weeks, I’ve realized that my body is not responding the way it needs to for me to play at the level l expect of myself and that my teammates and Bruins fans deserve.

"Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from the game of hockey."

Rask ends his career with a franchise-best 308 career wins and 14,345 saves. His .921 save percentage and 2.28 goals against average are also the best among former Bruins goalies with at least 30 starts.

A two-time All-Star, he won the 2013-14 Vezina Trophy and 2019-20 Jennings Trophy and also was the No. 2 goalie on Boston’s 2010-11 team that won the Stanley Cup.

But he played in only 24 games last season as the team managed his workload while he fought hip and back injuries. After a second-round loss to the New York Islanders, he revealed that he needed hip surgery.

FILE - Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40) plays during the second period of Game 4 during an NHL hockey second-round playoff series against the New York Islanders Saturday, June 5, 2021, in Uniondale, N.Y. Rask is getting closer to a return to action with the Bruins after signing a professional tryout agreement with AHL Providence.