Kyle Okposo has announced his retirement following a 17-season NHL career. The 36-year-old was drafted seventh overall by the New York Islanders in the 2006 NHL Draft and played in 1,051 career regular-season NHL games. His career spanned across three teams, scoring 242 goals and 614 points. He won his first and only Stanley Cup in his final career game as a member of the Florida Panthers.
Okposo’s Impressive Career
Okposo made his NHL debut for the Islanders as a 19-year-old on March 18, 2008, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored his first NHL goal, a powerplay game-winner, three days later against the New Jersey Devils. He ranks seventh in goals, seventh in points, and ninth in games played among the 2006 NHL Draft Class.
Okposo played in 529 regular season games with the Islanders, totaling 139 goals and 369 points. He was an alternate captain for seven seasons and had career highs of 27 goals and 69 points, both in the 2013-14 season. He played just 24 career playoff games on Long Island, scoring seven goals and 15 points in those games. Throughout his nine seasons with the Islanders, he always held his head up high, despite the team’s lack of success. He was a leader and fan favorite and has cemented himself as an integral player in Islanders’ history. In the 2016 offseason, Okposo signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
Okposo spent four seasons as an alternate captain before spending his final two seasons as captain, leading Buffalo’s young core of Owen Power, Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, and others. Despite having four different head coaches during his eight seasons, Okposo provided consistent leadership throughout 516 games in Buffalo. He scored 103 goals and 245 points with Buffalo, failing to ever reach the postseason. He was traded to the Panthers at the 2024 Trade Deadline.
The Panthers sent Calle Själin and a conditional seventh-round pick to the Sabres for Okposo. With Florida winning the Stanley Cup, that draft pick turned into a fourth-round pick. Okposo played in just six regular season games for Florida, failing to register a point. In the 2024 Playoffs, he played in 17 of the possible 24 games, including six of seven in the Stanley Cup Final. He tallied just two assists in the playoffs and was the third player to hoist the Stanley Cup, following captain Alexander Barkov and 14-year veteran goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky.
Okposo may not have been a household name, but he was a fan favorite on each team he played for. After spending time with family, do not be surprised to see his name reappear in a coaching or front office capacity in the future.