Former Penguins and Sharks winger retires at 33 after 705 NHL games, citing years of injuries
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Matt Nieto retires at 33 after 705 NHL games with the Sharks, Avalanche and Penguins. The Long Beach native cited injuries in his Instagram announcement.
Matt Nieto is calling it a career.
The former San Jose Sharks winger announced his retirement on Instagram on Monday, wrapping up 12 NHL seasons and 705 regular-season games.
The Long Beach native is 33 now.
San Jose grabbed him in the second round, 47th overall, back in 2011, and he went on to suit up 364 times for the Sharks.
That total includes the club's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.
Injuries closed the door
Nieto shared that injuries have followed him for the last several years and made it tough to play at the sport's top level.
He sat out all of last season in hopes of getting back to form.
In the end, the comeback never materialized.
He added that his passion for the game is still there and that he emptied the tank trying to return.
His move to Pittsburgh in 2023 looked like a fresh start, but knee problems cost him significant time over two seasons.
A long run through three teams
Before Pittsburgh, Nieto spent two separate stints with both the Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche.
Colorado claimed him off waivers in January 2017.
There is some irony in the Pittsburgh chapter, since the Penguins were the team that beat San Jose in the 2016 final.
He was never a big scorer. His best year came in 2017-18 with Colorado, when he scored 15 goals and 26 points in 74 games.
Still, he finished with 87 goals and 206 points, plus 62 playoff games, which is a strong career for a fast, 5-foot-11 depth forward drafted in the second round.
Best of luck to Nieto in whatever comes next.
Sharks fans watched a California kid stick around the league for over a decade, and plenty will remember that 2016 run fondly.
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