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SAN JOSE Custom Detroit Red Wings Jerseys , Calif. (AP) Jonathan Cheechoo has retired from hockey after playing seven NHL seasons and finishing with four years in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.Cheechoo announced his retirement through the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. He played six seasons with the Sharks, including 2005-06 when he won the Rocket Richard Trophy for leading the league with 56 goals.A member of the Cree First Nations who grew up more than 500 miles north of Toronto in Moose Factory, Ontario www.islandersfanproshop.com , Cheechoo played 501 regular-season and 59 playoff games with the Sharks and Ottawa Senators. He had 170 goals and 135 assists for 305 points in his career and will be recognized by the Sharks on March 24 when they host the Calgary Flames.Sharks general manager Doug Wilson says the 37-year-old Cheechoo ”completed a remarkable journey from one of North America’s remote locations to an elite National Hockey League player.” Cheechoo retires eighth on San Jose’s all-time scoring list and sixth in goals, while his nine hat tricks are still the most in franchise history.— There are sadder fates in sports than being a never-used backup goaltender on an Olympic champion, but it does have a certain pathos to it. When the Czech Republic鈥檚 1998 Olympic hockey triumph was immortalized in the Prague National Theatre by means of an opera called Nagano New York Islanders T-Shirts Womens , it was Milan Hnilicka 鈥?Dominik聽 Hasek鈥檚 anonymous backup 鈥?who was chosen as the main character precisely because he was viewed as a perfect tragic figure. When the former Soviet national team won its last Olympic gold in 1992, the Russians 鈥?who, of course New York Islanders Hoodies Womens , will never be out-tragedied 鈥?went to the extent of not even letting their third goalie keep the medal at all. That goalie, by the way, was Nikolai Khabibulin New York Islanders Hats Womens , who, as you may have heard, wound up making a name for himself.Igor Shestyorkin Custom New York Islanders Jerseys , who had the privile... All-Access +All-Access Member AreaPremium content and in-depth analysis from our team of experts exclusively for magazine subscribers. Simply login to unlock the content or become a member for less than $2.50 a month.LoginBecome a Member