Will remain with organization in player and prospect development capacity

Daniels, 35, played in 12 National Hockey League seasons in a professional hockey career that spanned 15 years. >Daniels Bio

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RALEIGH, N.C. (Nov. 17, 2003) – Jeff Daniels, left wing for the Carolina Hurricanes, today announced his retirement from professional hockey as a player. President and General Manager Jim Rutherford announced that Daniels will remain with the organization in the hockey operations department where he will assist with player and prospect development.

“I’ve enjoyed my time as a player with the Hurricanes and I look forward to this new opportunity with the organization,” said Daniels. “I’d also like to thank my teammates and the staff for everything over the last five years. The game has been very good to me and I leave with no regrets.”

Daniels, 35, played in 12 National Hockey League seasons in a professional hockey career that spanned 15 years. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the sixth round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, Daniels made his NHL debut for the Penguins on Oct. 9, 1990 at St. Louis and tallied his first NHL point with an assist on Oct. 28, 1990 against the NY Islanders. In total, Daniels played 425 career NHL games with Pittsburgh, Florida, Hartford, Carolina and Nashville, tallying 43 points (17g, 26a) and 83 penalty minutes. He played in 41 career NHL playoff games, scoring eight points (3g, 5a). His name is on the Stanley Cup as a member of the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Daniels played six seasons with the Hurricanes franchise. He was first signed by the organization as a free agent on July 18, 1995, and spent two years with the team before being selected by the Nashville Predators in the Expansion Draft in June 1998. He re-signed with Carolina after one season with the Predators, joining the Hurricanes for good prior to the 1999-00 season. A key part of Carolina’s penalty killing unit, Daniels tallied 20 points (8g, 12a) in 272 career games with the franchise. He also made 29 postseason appearances, playing all 23 games of the Hurricanes’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002.

“Jeff has been a really dependable character player for our organization during the past five years and we thank him for his contributions to our team on the ice,” said Rutherford. “His knowledge and experience in the game will be an asset to our front office. He has a terrific hockey mind and we are looking forward to working with him closely in a management capacity.”

In addition to his NHL experience, Daniels also played 334 games in the International Hockey League (IHL) with Muskegon, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee, tallying 272 points (115g, 157a) and capturing the Turner Cup in 1989, his first season with Muskegon. He played 181 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with Springfield and New Haven, totaling 125 points (64g, 61a).

Daniels played his junior hockey in his hometown of Oshawa, Ont., leading the Generals to the Memorial Cup Finals in 1987. He totaled 141 points (63g, 78a) in 239 games over four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League.