Byron Froese Announces Retirement After Back‑to‑Back Gagarin Cup Wins
Byron Froese, a professional hockey player with a 15‑season career, is expected to retire following Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s second consecutive Gagarin Cup championship.
The forward began his professional journey in 2009 when the Chicago Blackhawks drafted him, marking the start of a 12‑year North American odyssey.
After two seasons with the Toronto Marlies, where he posted 18 goals and 42 points in 46 games with a +22 rating, he earned a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Froese’s NHL tenure included 56 games for the Maple Leafs in the 2014‑15 season, a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning that brought Brian Boyle to Toronto, and stints with the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights.
From 2017‑18 through 2022‑23 he contributed to the Lightning, Canadiens, Flyers, Flames and Knights, culminating in a final NHL appearance during the 2023‑24 campaign.
Across the NHL he recorded seven goals and 20 points in 141 games, while his AHL career yielded 142 goals and 312 points in 513 contests, complemented by two Gagarin Cup titles in Russia.
Now, after back‑to‑back championships with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Froese is weighing retirement, closing a chapter that saw him capture two Russian titles but no North American championship.