Former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Thomas Greiss has retired following a 14-year career in the NHL.
A native of Germany, Greiss revealed his plans Wednesday to Stefan Herget, a freelance journalist who covers the league for that country.
Greiss, 37, spent one season, the 2014-15 campaign, with the Penguins. Appearing in 20 games, Greiss had a 9-6-3 record along with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage while serving as a backup to starter Marc-Andre Fleury.
His time with the Penguins was far from memorable, though he did create one notable moment in his post-Pittsburgh days after leaving the Penguins and joining the New York Islanders as a free agent in 2015
In October during the 2015-16 season, Greiss remarked how lively Islanders fans were in comparison to Penguins fans, suggesting that the atmosphere in what was then named Consol Energy Center was “pretty dead there.”
Upon his first game in Pittsburgh following those comments, Greiss gave Penguins fans something to cheer after he was chased from the net after allowing four goals on 26 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Penguins, Jan. 2, 2016.
In addition to the Penguins and Islanders, Greiss played for the San Jose Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings and St Louis Blues.
As a member of the Islanders in 2018-19, Greiss and teammate Jarsolav Halak won the William M. Jennings Trophy, an award that recognizes a the goaltender(s) for the team with the fewest goals scored against it during the regular season (with a minimum of 25 games played each).
A third-round selection (No. 94 overall) in the 2004 NHL Draft by the Sharks, Greiss is the NHL’s career leader in virtually every goaltender statistic of note among players born in Germany. In 368 career games, Greiss had a 162-130-37 record, a 2.77 goals against average and .911 save percentage.
