Four-time Stanley Cup champion Chris Kunitz has retired after 15 NHL seasons and joined the Blackhawks hockey operations department as a player development adviser to assist the organization’s NHL and AHL coaching staffs, the team announced Tuesday.
Kunitz, 39, played this past season on a one-year, $1 million contract for the Blackhawks, producing five goals and 10 points in 56 games. The highlight of his season came Feb. 14 when he played in his 1,000th NHL game.
Kunitz, who started his career with Anaheim as an undrafted free agent out of Ferris State, had 619 points (263 goals, 346 assists) in 1,022 NHL games with the Blackhawks, Lightning, Penguins, Thrashers and Ducks.