FINside the Sharks: Ray Whitney
Players come and go from teams, and some stay with the same team for their entire career. At some point, they might even retire or be forced to quit playing the game they love. For Phoenix Coyotes forward, Ray Whitney it’s been one wild ride in the National Hockey League. At the age of 39, he is the second player EVER drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1991 and is the last active player from the Sharks inaugural season.
Whitney has played for seven different teams over a span of 20 years. Including time over seas playing in Deutsche Eishockey Liga. After leaving the Sharks after the 1996-97 season, he joined the Edmonton Oilers then Florida Panthers a year later. Four years in Florida, Whitney spend the next 9 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes. It was during his first season with the Hurricanes in 2006 when Whitney won his first and only Stanley Cup to date.
The 2010-11 season, he began his 20th season in the NHL playing in the desert for the Phoenix Coyotes. With them, he achieved 17 goals and 40 assists. Not career numbers by any means, but still outstanding for a guy who is pushing 40 years old and is playing in his 21st NHL season.
As far as I am concerned, Ray Whitney will always be a Shark, even when he retires. He’s a great player and a great guy.
Next Week: Brent Burns
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