Red Wings RW Drake retires

Jul 16, 2008 - 4:00 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Detroit Red Wings right wing Dallas Drake retired Tuesday, ending a 15-year career capped by a long-awaited Stanley Cup championship.

Drake, 39, signed with the Red Wings last July and appeared in 65 games for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, scoring three goals and three assists.

A British Columbia native, Drake also played in 22 postseason games en route to his first championship, as the Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins to claim their fourth Stanley Cup in the last 11 seasons.

"I love the game as much as I ever have," Drake said. "Mentally, I think I really want to play, but my body has just gotten to the point where I just don't recover very well anymore and I don't play up to a level that you become used to playing, a physical level that I was used to playing. I think the years kind of wore me out a little bit. You keep telling yourself to play as long as you can, and I think I've done that."

Detroit's sixth-round draft selection in 1989, Drake spent parts of two seasons with the Red Wings before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets-Phoenix Coyotes franchise in March 1994. He signed with St. Louis in July 2000 and served as the Blues' captain from 2005-07.

In 1,009 career games, Drake scored 177 goals and 477 points, registering 885 penalty minutes.

"I've played a long time and had a lot of fun," he said. "I just feel that after winning the Stanley Cup this year, there's not a better way for me to go out, and a lot of thanks goes out to the Detroit organization for giving me another chance."