THUNDER BAY – Patrick Sharp says he knows it was the right time to walk away.
After 15 NHL seasons, three Stanley Cup wins with the Chicago Blackhawks and a 2014 Olympic gold medal, the Thunder Bay forward announced his retirement earlier this year, after a season that saw him score just 10 goals and 21 points, his team missing for the second straight spring.
Now 36 and four seasons removed from his fourth and final 30-goal campaign, with the aging Blackhawks on a downward spiral after capturing three championships in a six-season span, Sharp said he’s OK with retirement – even if it doesn’t necessarily mean putting the game in his rear-view mirror forever.
“I think it’s time to move on to new things. I’m very lucky and fortunate to be a part of a great organization in Chicago and play on some great teams and have some experiences that not every player gets to have,” Sharp said on Monday, before teeing it up in the Staal Foundation Open celebrity pro-am tournament.
“I know it’s time to walk away and to do other things. There are brighter days ahead and I can walk away with my health and I’m looking to do other stuff.”
First and foremost Sharp, who now calls Connecticut home, said he wants to focus on being a father.
“I don’t think I’m going to be a professional golfer,” he joked. “But I’ll spending a lot of time on the golf course. And I’ve got two little girls who are six and four. They’re starting school and it’s nice to be home next year and not going on the road as much and being involved more in their day-to-day lives."
It doesn’t mean he’s leaving hockey behind for good.
Sharp, a popular figure in Chicago throughout his playing days, spent time in the broadcast booth during the recent NHL playoffs, and received mostly positive reviews for his efforts.
A return to television could be part of his future, he said.
“I’m not sure if that’s something I’m going to continue. Maybe I’ll get involved with management down the road, but right now I’m just enjoying my time off and trying to stay in shape. I’m not training as hard as when I was playing,” said Sharp, who finished his career with 287 goals and 620 points in 939 regular season games, adding another 47 goals and 87 points in 142 playoff appearances.
“We’ll just take it day by day and week by week and we’ll see what happens.”
Drafted by Philadelphia in the third round, 95th overall in 2001 out of the University of Vermont, Sharp spent parts of three seasons with the Flyers before finding his game with Chicago after arriving in a trade during the 2005-06 season. He was part of Cup-winning teams in 2010, 2013 and 2015 before heading to Dallas for two seasons.
He returned to Chicago for one final campaign, and said he was glad to retire with the Blackhawks.
“There’s no question that Chicago was home for me – not just the city and the fans that are there, but my friends on the team, the people in the organization,” he said.