PITTSBURGH ? (AP) ? Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Ziggy Palffy is retiring.

 

The Penguins cited personal reasons for Palffy's retirement in a news release on Wednesday. A Slovak newspaper reported that Palffy made the decision because of a lingering shoulder injury.

 

General Manager Craig Patrick was scheduled to address the media about Palffy's decision late Wednesday morning. Palffy's agent, Paul Kraus, didn't immediately return calls from The Associated Press.

 

"I have agreed on all matters related to my retirement with the Pittsburgh management,'' Palffy told the Sport daily, a Slovak newspaper. "There is no point in suffering any longer.''

 

The 33-year-old Palffy was injured while playing for the Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim in January 2004. He had reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder twice, but the problems persisted.

 

"I have talked to my doctor and he did not recommend a third operation,'' Palffy told the newspaper.

 

Earlier this year, Palffy retired from the Slovak national team ahead of the Turin Olympics.

 

Despite the injury, Palffy was second in scoring for the Penguins with 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) in 42 games. He signed a $13.5 million, three-year contract with the Penguins as a free agent in August and spent most of his time on a line with rookie Sidney Crosby.

 

Born in Skalica, Slovakia, Palffy had 329 goals and 384 assists in 684 games in 12 NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, the Kings and Penguins. He scored 40 or more goals in three straight seasons with the Islanders.

 

Palffy is the second free agent the Penguins have lost to injury this season. Goaltender Jocelyn Thibault was expected to miss the rest of the season with hip surgery.

Shocker.

 

I guess losing makes the pain that much worse.

Not to mention having Michel Therrien as your head coach :lol

 

Shame to see a great player like Palffy retire. This probably explains why he only had one goal in his past 18 games or so. He was still racking up assists, but it was probably killing him to shoot the puck. Good luck to Ziggy.

 

BTW, strange to see both "high end" players the Panthers targeted this offseason suffer strange fates. First Mogilny is waived and sent to the AHL, and now Palffy retires midseason.

BTW, strange to see both "high end" players the Panthers targeted this offseason suffer strange fates. First Mogilny is waived and sent to the AHL, and now Palffy retires midseason.

 

 

Unless you believe that Palffy is 100% retiring because of his shoulder, neither fate would have happened had either been with the Panthers.