Paul Stastny's retirement decision came after his father & NHL great Peter Stastny's advice

NHL veteran Paul Stastny recently announced his retirement from professional hockey, marking the end of an illustrious 17-season career that saw him accumulate 822 points in 1,145 games. Stastny's decision to step away from the game was made quietly and without much fanfare, mirroring the approach he had taken throughout his career.

Pierre LeBrun breaks Paul Stastny's retirement, speaking highly of father Peter

Paul Stastny admitted to LeBrun that he had some interest from teams in him over the summer, but he opted to wait it out for a while to see how he felt. Then, as time passed, he realized that retiring was the right choice for him.

In an article reported by Pierre LeBrun, Stastny revealed:

"I haven't filed anything, but in early September, we decided we were done."

The 37-year-old forward opted to forgo the usual social media announcements that accompany such retirements. He added:

"I kind of came into the league quietly, and I'm leaving the league quietly. That's the way I like it. All the people close to me know, and then word always gets out eventually."

Paul Stastny's decision to retire at the age of 37 is consistent with his father, the famous Peter Stastny, who retired at the age of 38 following an amazing NHL career in 1995. During this momentous life transition, the younger Stastny relied on his father for advice.

"What's funny is that if I lean one way, he'll play devil's advocate just to make sure I see both sides," Paul shared. "But he's always like, 'Whatever you decide, you decide.' I was leaning one way, and he was like, 'No, you've got to do this and do this.' Then he called me a week later and said, 'You know what? You're right. I listened to everything you said. I thought it over. You're definitely right about the way you're thinking.'"

Paul Stastny wanted to take the time to evaluate how he truly felt about continuing his career.

"I've been playing for 17 years. It's been a long time, I've put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it," he added. "Now I love being at home and love being with the kids. Just love being able to do other things now. I'm very much at peace with it, that's for sure."

Peter Stastny's guidance to his son has always centered on making clear-headed, reasonable decisions and removing emotion from the equation, which is invaluable advice in a career riddled with team moves and contract negotiations. Their common calm demeanor has suited them well in the world of professional hockey.