Toronto uses a Retirement Save to keep Marleau on the club for one additional season.
UPDATE: August 8th - Patrick Marleau is staying a Maple Leaf for one more season. The Maple Leafs announced late Sunday that the 41-year old centerman received a Retirement Save, which was accepted by the league. This insures Marleau will play one more season, but is now guaranteed to retire after the following season or playoffs, should Toronto qualify.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW:
Patrick Marleau announced plans to retire from BEARD Hockey on Monday, bringing an incredible 24-year professional career to a possible close after appearing in 82 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs this past season.
The retirement is of course pending the use of a retirement save, which Leafs GM Sean Hanley may use next month to retain Marleau's services for one additional season.
Marleau had 20 goals and 26 assists while winning over 50% of his faceoffs in his possibly final season in BEARD Hockey. The consistent centreman has appeared in nearly 1,800 NHL games, with 566 goals, 631 assists, and 1,197 points in his lengthy career.
"I've done what I set out to do in this career" said Marleau, who would be leaving two additional years and $4 million per season on the table if Toronto doesn't use his retirement save. "The Maple Leafs have been great to me, as they have with Henrik (Lundqvist). We've both been fortunate enough, I think, to have great careers and it's been a fulfilling chapter in my life."