“Just at a place where I’m proud of my accomplishments” – Kings’ Dustin Brown to retire after Stanley Cup Playoffs

Dustin Brown

Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown has announced on Thursday his retirement from the National Hockey League (NHL) after the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Canucks pay respect to Dustin Brown after his final regular-season NHL game. Pure class. pic.twitter.com/CjCkvcyDBH
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) April 29, 2022

The 37-year-old Brown, who is in his 18th NHL season, all with Los Angeles, qualified for the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. The Kings (44-27-11) are now scheduled to play the Edmonton Oilers on May 3 in the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Place.

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“I’m just at a place where I’m proud of my accomplishments,” Brown said on Friday, as quoted by NHL.com. “I’m proud of this group here too. Just to go out in the playoffs, that helped. If we hadn’t made the playoffs, this decision might have been a little more difficult for me to make, but for me to play a meaningful game, whether it ends with a win or a loss, that was important. It made the decision easier once we clinched.”

“Nod to our relationship more than anything else”

Brown has thus far 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 64 regular-season games this season to his name before missing out on 14 games due to an upper-body injury.

“I knew I was going to get to play some playoff hockey, which is kind of what I said to the guys is, ’18 years, this might be the opportunity.’ Unless your name is (former Detroit Red Wings defenseman) Nick Lidstrom, they don’t come around every year.”

Talking about his special bond with Kings current skipper Anze Kopitar, the New York native stated:

“‘Kopi’ (current captain Anze Kopitar) had already arranged that,” Brown said. “He asked me first. I said I’d appreciate that [as] more of, I think, a nod to our relationship more than anything else. Kopi, he’s just my boy.”