Thomas Greiss retires from NHL due to unappealing offers in free agency

Thomas Greiss is the 37-year-old, 14-season NHL career goalie whose career came to an end on Wednesday with his formal announcement of retirement from the league. Greiss, an unrestricted free agent, informed senior independent journalist for NHL.com/de Stefan Herget, that he had decided to hang up his skates.

"There have been some considerations (about playing), but the bottom line is, I looked at a few offers that didn't really appeal to me. As a result, I was ready to make the move and am looking forward to doing some new things in my life. Our job comes with a lot of freedom, but now I can tackle some new challenges." -Thomas Greiss

Greiss added:

"I'm already going to stay connected to hockey and possibly do something with one team or another. But right now, I want to get some distance and let the rest come to me."

Thomas Greiss participated in 21 games with 16 starts with the St. Louis Blues the season before. He had a record of seven wins and 10 defeats, but he also held a 3.64 goals-against average, a.896 save percentage, and one shutout.

During his stint in the NHL, Thomas Greiss, who was chosen by the San Jose Sharks in the third round with the 94th pick, established an excellent career record. He played for various clubs throughout his 14-year career, including the Blues, Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, and Detroit Red Wings.

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Thomas Greiss had a remarkable NHL career

Thomas Greiss played in 368 games throughout the regular season, starting in 323 of them, compiling a record of 162 wins, 130 losses, and 37 overtime losses. He recorded 16 shutouts, a good goals-against average of 2.77, and a save percentage of .911.

The retired NHL goalie also took part in 17 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, starting 14 and finishing with seven wins and eight losses. His playoff records showed a solid 2.43 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage, and one shutout.

From 2015 until 2020, Greiss played for the New York Islanders, where he experienced some of his best seasons. He recorded an impressive 101 wins, 60 losses, and 17 overtime losses during the regular season while maintaining a goals-against average of 2.70, a save percentage of.915, and recording 10 shutouts. He had a record of seven wins, eight defeats, 2.41 goals against average with a .921 save percentage, and a single shutout in the playoffs.

When Thomas Greiss replaced Jaroslav Halak as the Islanders' starting goalie in the 2016 playoffs due to Halak's injury, it was one of Greiss' most memorable moments. In the team's first playoff series win since 1993, he was instrumental in helping them defeat the Florida Panthers in six games in the Eastern Conference First Round.