Florida Panthers forward and NHL journeyman Zac Dalpe has retired from professional hockey at the age of 35.
A second-round pick (45th overall) by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft went on to play 168 career NHL games, scoring 16 goals and 32 points. Throughout his career, Dalpe recorded games with the Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets and most recently, the Panthers.
Dalpe spent the past four seasons with the Panthers organization, playing in 15 games with the Panthers and 191 games with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL.
The Paris, ON native was a classic case of a skilled AHL player who struggled to carve out a role in the NHL. His production was never replicated in the NHL, and he wasn't able to cement himself as a bottom-six player, but he never stopped working hard and was a great teammate throughout his career.
The Checkers' captain confirmed his retirement in an open letter posted on the Checkers' website. In the letter, Dalpe wrote about his journey to the NHL, beginning as a young boy playing hockey in his basement with his brother, to grinding every day to make his dreams come true.
"I Got To Go, It's Been A Pleasure Doing Business With You"
— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) July 7, 2025
An open letter from @ZacDalpe22: https://t.co/31ydKzvvqfpic.twitter.com/nfNuETc3YV
"When I look back and sort of do a synopsis of my career, I honestly don’t know where to start," Dalpe wrote. "From getting drafted in 2008 to present day in 2025, so much has happened to me.
"One word that comes to mind is 'grind'. Getting called up to the best league in the world is easy to let pass by. The NHL- The Never Hungry League. You’re right there but you’re not quite there. It’s a beautiful thing for me. Nothing ever comes easy so why would this? It’s just a constant battle of hard work and setbacks. Why have it any other way? No f****** thanks, man.
"I do know a couple things though. One thing is for certain is that I never took a day off. I am by no means trying to sound like a 'hero' by saying that. But every single day I tried to become a better hockey player. Every movement or decision I made, I tried to look at it through the eyes of a hockey player. I worked as hard as I possibly could. I owe so much to the game and everything that comes with it. Another thing I know for certain is that I tried to be the best teammate I could and I also never took a day off from that. When my name gets brought up in the future I just hope that those two things are attached to it.
"Nothing ever came natural to me. It was all hard work."
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