Joe Nieuwendyk forced to retire

Florida Panthers centre Joe Nieuwendyk has been forced to retire because of recurring back problems. Nieuwendyk announced his retirement Wednesday.
Nieuwendyk, 40, in his twentieth NHL season, scored eight points while playing just 15 of the team's first 29 games, because of injuries. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that he visited a back specialist in Cleveland last Friday.

Nieuwendyk had 564 goals and 1126 points in 1257 career games and won Stanley Cups with three different franchises: Calgary (1989), Dallas (1999) and New Jersey (2003). He won the Conn Smythe Award as playoff MVP in 1999.

'I have the reached the stage where structurally my back isn't going to get any better. It's not the way I intended it, but I have to be realistic as well,'' Nieuwendyk said.

''He was an all-around elite player,'' said Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey, Nieuwendyk's coach and GM with the Dallas Stars. ''He is the kind of player whose accomplishments merit consideration for the Hall of Fame.''