Jimmy Howard

"Becoming an NHL goalie was a childhood dream and after an incredible 14 years within the Red Wings organization, I've decided to say farewell to playing professional hockey and move on to the next chapter," Howard said. "It has been the honor of a lifetime to play and I'm forever thankful to the fans, everyone within the Red Wings organization, my teammates and my family for their ongoing support, loyalty and dedication." The 36-year-old netminder spent his entire career with Detroit, while appearing in 543 regular-season matches. He posted 246 wins, a 2.62 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and 24 shutouts. Howard ranks third in wins and fourth in shutouts in Red Wings history, 

Howard was asked to play for the Oilers by his former GM in Detroit Ken Holland but he has decided that he likes his family life too much to return to the NHL. The Oilers are reeling in net with Mike Smith on LTIR and then losing Anton Forsberg through waivers. Congratulations go out to Howard on a strong NHL career, even if the shine was off him last season.

Howard believed he would be heading for free agency and that will be the case following this confirmation. The 36-year-old netminder will be seeking a chance to bounce back with a different team next season. Detroit will look for another goaltender on the free-agent market. 

Howard has no intention of retiring and he has been training hard for the last two months. He is eager to get a chance to bounce back after he struggled mightily in 2019-20 with Detroit. He posted a 2-23-2 record along with career-worsts in save percentage (.882) and goals-against average (4.20). Howard doesn't want that to be his final year. He has played all 543 of his regular-season matches with the Red Wings.