Former NHL Defenseman Retires; Joins Columbus Blue Jackets Staff

Veteran defenseman Roman Polak has announced his retirement from professional hockey and has joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as a European scout.

Polak completed his NHL career in 2019-20 with the Dallas Stars, but he then moved to back home to Czechia and played two seasons with Vitkovice as their captain. However, at 36 years old, it makes sense that the longtime defenseman has retired. Now, he will be beginning his career off the ice with the Blue Jackets.

Polak was never a star in the NHL, but he certainly had a solid career as a defensive defenseman. In 806 career NHL games split between the St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Stars, Polak had 26 goals, 114 assists, and 140 points. With that, he was an immensely physical player, as his 1,984 hits show.

Nevertheless, we'd like to wish Roman good luck as he begins his journey as an NHL scout.