Former Ducks star Andrew Cogliano announces retirement

Former Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano, who aided the team in reaching two conference finals appearances and later won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, announced his retirement on Friday.

Cogliano, 37, will join Colorado’s front office imminently, the Avalanche said in a news release, which indicated that he’d assist in both scouting and player development for the club.

Beginning in 2007 with the Edmonton Oilers, Cogliano played 1294 games (ninth among active skaters) as well as 131 playoff contests for five different franchises. He was with none for longer than the Ducks.

He spent seven full seasons and part of an eighth on Katella Ave., including dashes to the conference finals against Chicago in 2015 and Nashville in 2017. Along with Ryan Kesler, who has been a mentor to Ducks prospect Cutter Gauthier, and Jakob Silfverberg, who retired from the NHL this season to compete in his native Sweden, Cogliano formed one of the more fondly remembered lines in Ducks lore.

“The game of hockey has given me and my family so much and I am grateful for every moment,” Cogliano said in a statement. “I am blessed to have played for so long with some great organizations and amazing teammates. I will miss being with the guys in the dressing room and battling for each other on the ice every night but it’s time to move on. Thank you to everyone I ever played with, played for and all the great fans for all of their support. I am excited to start my new chapter in the front office.”

His 190 goals and 464 points were peripheral to all he offered in terms of pace, professionalism and preparation. Cogliano was also known for his explosive skating, high fitness level and exemplary comportment during his career. All those attributes contributed to one of the longest consecutive game streaks in NHL history. His 830 straight appearances were the fourth-most in NHL history at the time and remained the eighth most today. His streak was snapped not by injury but by a two-game suspension for his hit on Kings forward Adrian Kempe.

With Colorado, Cogliano added levels to his ironman reputation. In 2022, he scored the game-winning goal in Game 1 of the conference finals against Edmonton but broke his finger and injured his hand later in the series, such to the point that he used his left hand in the handshake line after Colorado won. Unwavering, he returned for the Stanley Cup Final, contributing three points in five games and an emotional speech prior to Colorado’s clinching victory over Tampa Bay in Game 6.

In 2022-23, he was injured again in the playoffs, this time sustaining a fractured neck in Game 6 of a first-round series against Seattle but still somehow finished the match. After missing a Game 7 loss, he rebounded and rehabbed to dress in 75 of 82 games for the Avs and 11 more in the playoffs this past season.

“On behalf of the Avalanche organization, we would like to congratulate Andrew on a fantastic NHL career,” Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement. “He is a true pro, a fierce competitor, a great teammate and leader, and a mentor for younger players.”