Tuesday morning, the Blackhawks and Chris Kunitz announced that the 15-year NHL veteran was retiring to take a position in player development with the organization.
Kunitz, 39, joined the Blackhawks on July 1, 2019, signing a one-year contract in a depth leadership role with the team, returning to his wife’s hometown to wind down his career. In only 56 games, he had just 10 points (five goals, five assists) but was able to surpass the elusive 1,000 NHL games played plateau.
He previously won Stanley Cups with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017. He was voted an NHL All Star in 2013 while amassing 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in only 48 games of the strike shortened season playing on Sidney Crosby’s wing. Kunitz represented Team Canada in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, held in Sochi, Russia, collecting one goal and winning a gold medal.
Earlier this month, Kunitz was spotted mingling with Blackhawks management at the recent Blackhawks prospect and development camp, so this announcement comes as no surprise. His new position within the organization will be titled “player development adviser,” which sounds very similar to what former Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell did last season. Campbell spent a good amount of time helping monitor and guide defenseman Adam Boqvist’s development in the OHL with the London Knights.
The Regina, Saskatchewan, native finished his career with 1,022 games played, 619 regular season points (268 goals, 351 assists) and 93 playoff points (27 goals, 66 assists) playing for Anaheim, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Chicago.