14 year veteran left wing Matt Ellis(37) decided to hang up his skates after a nice, long pro career for an undrafted player, who started his career with 71 ECHL games with Toledo Storm, while under the watchful eye of Detroit Red Wings.
He spent the first three seasons signed to a minor league contract before netting his big league contract.
It would take him another campaign with affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins, getting an AHL best 28 assists before he earned his first recall.
The 6′ 212 lbs. forward split time in 2006/2007 but was skating full-time in the show in the next campaign but after a waiver claim by Los Angeles Kings, finished a short stint in California before being once again grabbed on the wire by Buffalo Sabres to start 2008/2009.
He would spend his next 8 seasons in upper state New York finishing up on a contract with Rochester Americans in 2015/2016.
The 35-year old transitions into coaching now that his playing days are behind him at the Academy Of Hockey.
He has 356 NHL games on his resume.
Matt Ellis(37) Portland Pirates
A veteran of more than 200 NHL games, Matt Ellis(37) has spent most of this season as team captain with Portland.
He was up with Buffalo for the end of the regular season but sent down again where he should help with the Pirates‘ Calder Cup run.