Matt Calvert retires due to injury

Matt Calvert is calling it a career after 10 NHL seasons.

The former Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche winger announced his retirement due to a career-ending injury on Thursday.

Calvert was limited to just 18 games during the 2020-21 season with the Avalanche due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. He played his last game on March 23.

"I've been lucky enough to play the game I love since I was five years old," the 31-year-old wrote in a statement.

"It was an absolute honor to wear the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche jerseys throughout my career," he added. "I would bleed for those organizations any day."

He amassed 203 points over 566 regular-season games, and 17 points in 32 playoff contests after the Blue Jackets made him their fifth-round pick in 2008. Calvert spent eight seasons with Columbus before three campaigns with Colorado.

"Thank you to the best parents in the world. You sacrificed everything to give me the opportunity to play in the National Hockey League," Calvert continued, while also thanking his wife Courtney, and his boys Kasey and Beau.

"I look forward to skating on the outdoor rinks with my boys in retirement," he said. "I love you all!"

Calvert resides in Manitoba with his family.

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