Detroit Red Wings: Jimmy Howard set to retire after 14 seasons
By Tyler Kotila
Former Detroit Red Wings netminder Jimmy Howard is set to retire after fourteen seasons in a winged wheel uniform. According to reports from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Howard is set to officially announce his retirement by next week.
Howard was a fourteen veteran of the National Hockey League, having spent all fourteen seasons in Hockeytown suiting up for the Red Wings. But after a horrifying final season in 2019-20, Howard remains jobless.
He hit the open market in free agency this year but no one ended up coming to an agreement with the netminder. Retirement talks had been spurred after an uneventful free agency period and Friedman kind of confirmed the rumors to be true.
The Red Wings have turned over a new leaf with netminders, handing the duties off to 2019-20 team MVP Jonathan Bernier and offseason signee Thomas Greiss. However, Howard was a staple of the crease for years.
The Detroit Red Wings got a lot out of Jimmy Howard even if the end of his time in Hockeytown was not nearly as pleasant.
More from Detroit Jock City
- Tigers Sign Manager A.J. Hinch to Long-Term Extension
- Lions vs. Bears Week 14 Opening Odds Disrespect Detroit
- Former Tigers Celebrate Jim Leyland Hall of Fame Call
- This Pistons Team Could be the Worst in Detroit Sports History
- 4 Free Agents Tigers Should Sign During Winter Meetings
As a 36-year old, Jimmy Howard would put up the worst numbers of his career which any Red Wings fan would know if they paid attention during the 2019-20 season.
Ending on such a sour note cannot be what Howard was wishing for which explains why he made it clear he wanted to continue playing in 2020-21.
The offers never trickled in and it seems like time has run out and Howard is coming to grips with the fact that his career is concluding.
However, he was a phenomenal netminder for this organization, holding things down in net and being a more than reliable goaltender.
It just sucks to look back on Howard’s career with the freshest memory being how terrible he was during the 2019-20 season.
He would make 27 starts for the Red Wings where he had a 2-23-2 record while posting a .882 save percentage(SV%) and a 4.20 goals-against average(GAA).
His best season, one that Red Wings fans should remember him by his 2016-17 season where he had his best statistical output. He would produce a .927 SV% and a 2.10 GAA over 26 games. His 10-11-1 record was not as exciting but it was his best statistical year.
Closing the book on fourteen years, in 2009-10, Howard was named to the All-Rookie Team in his first year as the sole starter. He was a runner-up for the Calder award this season and took home an all-star game appearance, one of three during this career.
Trending. Detroit Red Wings: Andrei Svechnikov is what the team wishes for Evgeny. light
Detroit Red Wings fans should agree a “Congratulations on a great career” is in order for Jimmy Howard even if the end was not what anyone had hoped for.