After announcing to the hockey world that he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Bryan Bickell played the final game of his career in Philadelphia last night. The end of the game was fitting, with Bickell netting a shootout goal to help lift his team to victory.
Bickell has had previous success in Philadelphia, lifting the first of his three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks on the ice in Philly. It seemed right that his career went full circle, taking him back to the same place, a place full of good memories.
The 31-year-old only returned to the Carolina Hurricanes lineup this week, going on to play in their final two games this weekend. He returned to the ice in February, after taking time out since November and finally made it back into the NHL this weekend.
Bickell spent nine years of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks and was originally drafted by them in 2004. He won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, including during the 2012/13 season when he scored an impressive 17 points in 23 games, which helped his team lift the cup. He earned a long term deal with them after that performance but was sent to Carolina in a trade to move some cap space during the summer of 2016.
Bryan Bickell played 393 career games in the NHL, registering 66 goals and 70 assists. After a good spell in the league, it is now time for Bickell to put his health first and retire from the sport. His name will be remembered for a very long time and it’s likely that the NHL will continue to support Bickell and his charity work for multiple sclerosis.
