Veteran defenseman Andrej Sekera announced his retirement from professional ice hockey on Tuesday, thereby wrapping up a two-decade-long career in the NHL.
The 36-year-old player made his debut in 2006, signing a three-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres. From there, he went on to play for the Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars.
Sekera played the last two years of his professional career with the Stars after Edmonton made the decision to buy out the remainder of his contract. His standout moment for the Stars came during the playoff bubble in 2020 when he blocked 38 shots in 27 games to send Dallas through to the Stanley Cup Final. That season, he played an average of almost 14 minutes per game, helping the Stars reach their third playoffs spot in four years.
On the national level, Sekera skated at two Olympic Games and represented Slovakia at the world championships on eight occasions. He won the silver medal with Slovakia in 2012 and in 2019, was awarded the captain’s armband for his nation. Sekera played 888 games in the NHL.
