A quality forward formerly of the Boston Bruins has officially retired from hockey.
Ryan Spooner, who also played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, is now done with his skates.
He hadn’t been in the NHL in years, but he had continued his career overseas. That came to an end this week.
He was playing for HK Dukla Trencin in Slovakia, but that club announced on Wednesday that Spooner has officially retired.
Google’s translation of Spooner’s message in that press release reads as follows:
“I would like to thank the Dukla fans for their support and for the way they welcomed me in Trenčín. I have really enjoyed my time at this club and I sincerely believed that I would play one more season. Ending my career was not an easy decision for me, but I feel it is the right one. Once again, I would like to thank the club, my teammates and the fans for everything and I will keep my fingers crossed for the guys this season.”
It’s the end to a long hockey journey for Spooner.
Ryan Spooner With Bruins
Spooner was drafted in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Bruins with the No. 45 overall pick (second round).
He would spend his first six NHL seasons with Boston. His best year came in 2015-16, when he had 13 goals and 36 assists for 14 points. He followed that up with 11-28-39 and 13-28-41 the next two years.
Spooner finished his Bruins career with 253 games played and 41 goals scored with 101 assists for 142 points. He also had 143 hits and 61 blocks shots while playing for Boston.
He got into the playoffs just once with the Bruins and had two assists in four games in 2016-17.
Ryan Spooner After Bruins
The Bruins sent Spooner to the New York Rangers in the Rick Nash trade in 2017-18. He played 20 games with New York and was hot, scoring 16 points — four goals and a dozen assists.
Spooner began the 2018-19 season still with the Rangers, but they traded him in November to the Edmonton Oilers to Ryan Strome.
The Oilers then traded Spooner to the Canucks in February 2019 for Sam Gagner.
Spooner had three points (two goals, one assist) in 25 games for the Oilers, then four assists in 11 games for the Canucks.
He signed in Switzerland after that season and never returned to the NHL.
Spooner spent most of his time since the NHL playing in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia, along with the Swiss league and the Slovak league.
His best season since leaving the NHL was 2023-24 with Omsk Avangard in the KHL. He had 23 goals and 38 assists that season for 61 points.
Before hanging up his skates in September 2026, Spooner had a goal and three assists through five games with Trencin Dukla in Slovakia. He’s 34 and will now move onto the next chapter in his life.
Bruins’ 41-Goal Forward Announces Retirement