Darcy Tucker Retires With One Regret

Gritty forward Darcy Tucker, who made a name for himself as both an agitator and a scorer, announced Friday that he is retiring from the NHL.

Tucker, a native of Castor, Alberta, came into the league after being drafted by Montreal in the sixth round (151st overall) in 1993.

The 35-year-old enjoyed 15 seasons in the NHL playing for the Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Colorado Avalanche, often pushing the envelope with his physical, in-your-face style wherever he suited up.

But the rough and tumble play seemed to finally catch up with the diminutive winger last season with the Avs, when he sustained a concussion on a check by Tuomo Ruutu in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

While Tucker eventually recovered from the hit and returned to finish the season, he acknowledged he was never the same player after the hit and that the time was right to hang up the skates.

"I just knew during workouts I didn't have that same feeling and I needed to be fair with my family," Tucker told TSN.

"After spending the whole summer anticipating I would play, it got to a point where I knew it was time."

While reminiscing on his career, Tucker said he has one big regret: Not winning a Stanley Cup in Toronto.

"That would be the ultimate for any player," he said. "It was difficult to play in Toronto, it wasn't easy, but I took it as a compliment and I thrived on it. I loved the pressure there."

Indeed, Tucker rose to prominence in hockey-mad Toronto, racking up four 20-plus goal seasons while playing in the city from 1999 to 2008.

The 5 foot 10 inch, 178-pound winger endeared himself to fans in Toronto by constantly playing on the edge, often straddling the line between dirty and hard-nosed play.

His infamous hip-to-knees hit that sidelined Mike Peca during the 2002 playoffs stands out as one of Tucker's more controversial moments.

And who could ever forget the time Tucker challenged the entire Ottawa Senators bench during one of his most maniacal outbursts?

His legendary blowups and on-ice antics even earned him a nickname -- "Sideshow Bob" -- which some members of the media disdainfully used to describe Tucker.

"There are things I did that I wasn't proud of, but those were the things that kept me in the game," Tucker told TSN.

"I am very proud of how hard I played, especially in Toronto."

Tucker finishes his NHL career with 215 goals, 476 points, and 1,410 penalty minutes.