CHICAGO – Former Vermont men's hockey forward and three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Sharp '02 has officially retired from the National Hockey League. Sharp played 16 seasons in the NHL, including 11 years over two different stints with the Chicago Blackhawks.
 
"On behalf of our players, staff, and hockey alums, I'd like to congratulate Patrick on an incredible NHL career," said head coach Kevin Sneddon. "We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."
 
Sharp, who began his career in Philadelphia and spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons in Dallas, returned to Chicago last summer for his final campaign. He won Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 2015, becoming the first former Catamount and only the 16th NCAA men's hockey alumni to hoist three Cups. The winger also served as an assistant captain for more than half of his NHL career.
 
In 939 career NHL games, Sharp posted 620 points on 287 goals and 333 assists. 249 of his NHL goals and all four of his 30-goal campaigns came with the Blackhawks. He was selected to four NHL All-Star Teams and led Chicago with 10 goals during its 2013 championship run, which included former UVM forward Viktor Stalberg '09.
 
Sharp also won an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 2014 with former Catamount Martin St. Louis '97 in Sochi, Russia and suited up for the Canadians in a pair of IIHF World Championships.
 
Sharp's final professional game took place on Saturday night against the Jets in Winnipeg, where he was born in 1981. He spent two seasons with the Catamounts from 2000-02, finishing with 53 points in 65 NCAA games.

Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the UVM men's hockey program