Former Wild forward Chris Stewart announces retirement

Former Minnesota Wild forward Chris Stewart has announced his retirement. The 32-year-old spent 11 years in the NHL, playing for the Wild, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers.

Stewart broke the news of his retirement via Twitter on Sunday.

Stewart appeared in 668 NHL games throughout his career, collecting 160 goals and 322 total points over the years. He spent portions of three different seasons with the Wild, posting 25 goals and 45 points in 146 games for Minnesota.

In 2016-17, Stewart led the Wild by a country mile in penalty minutes with 94 in 79 games. Known as one of the toughest guys in the league, it wasn’t rare for Stewart to throw hands with opposing teams’ best fighters.

Here’s footage of Stewart ending Lawson Crouse’s life on live television.

While Stewart will no longer be making an impact on the ice, he will certainly be making an impact off of it. Along with former Wild teammate Matt Dumba, Stewart serves on the executive committee of the newly formed Hockey Diversity Alliance, which aims to “promote diversity at all levels of the game through community outreach and engagement with youth.”