Ray Whitney calls it a career and announces retirement

Adios to Ray Whitney -- also commonly known as 'The Wizard' by those in the many fanbases where he played.

According to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, Whitney is hanging up his skates and calling it a career at the age of 42.

From ESPN.com:

"For the past 23 years, I have had the privilege of earning my living playing hockey in the National Hockey League," Whitney said in a statement released by his agency, CAA Sports. "Along the way, I have made countless memories and friendships, which I will always cherish. Every city I played in, the fans welcomed my family and me with open arms, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.

"I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of my teammates and coaches, especially the 2006 Stanley Cup team in Carolina. I was lucky to have great agents at CAA Sports, who stood by me through the good times and the tough times. I want to say a special thank you to my parents, who gave me the chance to do what I loved.

As Whitney aged, his production seemed to continue to never fade, posting a career-high 83 points in 2006-07 at the age of 34. The post-lockout rules enabled the 5-foot-10 Whitney to continue on at a prolific pace.

He posted 77 points for the then-Phoenix Coyotes in 2011-12 at the age of 39. Whitney's career started in 1991-92 with the San Jose Sharks at the age of 19.

Whitney was never the best player at his position, but ended up with 1,064 points and a Stanley Cup with the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes. Both tend to be Hall of Fame markers, but again -- Whitney was very good, but simply never the best. It's an interesting dilemma for sure.

Anyway, goodbye Ray Whitney and congratulations on a most excellent career.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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