800-Game NHL Veteran Cam Atkinson Hangs Up the Skates After Amazing Career

The Columbus Blue Jackets haven't exactly been a stellar drafting team in the NHL over their tenure, but back in the 2008 NHL Draft, they landed a steal in the sixth-round.

Pick No. 157 would turn out to be winger Cam Atkinson, who would go on to play 10 seasons with the team before playing in two campaigns with Philadelphia and one with Tampa Bay in 2024/25, which turns out will be his last in the National Hockey League.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that the 36-year old is signing a one-day contract in Columbus to officially retire as a member of the Blue Jackets, with the team set to honour one of the greatest players that's ever played for the organization.

Over his career, Atkinson appeared in 809 games, tallying 253 goals and 489 points in that time, and while he never became a star, as a sixth-round draft pick, he put together a very good NHL career, one that anyone would be proud of.

Last season, Atkinson appeared in just 39 games with the Lightning, and while he was still a fairly productive player, at this point in his career, he simply felt he didn't have enough left to give.

Given his connections in Columbus, it would not shock anyone if Atkinson took on a new role within the organization in some capacity now that he's officially retired, but for now, the Blue Jackets and their fans are taking their time to honour the decade long Blue Jacket that gave the franchise everything he had.