In sports, age is just a number. It’s no different in the hockey world.
As the NHL’s 2022-23 season gets ready to begin, there has been turnover among the league’s elder statesmen. Zdeno Chara, the oldest active player the past couple of seasons, called it quits at age 45. He retires as the sixth-oldest person to play in an NHL game.
It’s not uncommon to see player over 40 on the ice, but there aren’t many of them. As of the start of the season, only two players on NHL rosters are at least 40, and only one of them is likely to play this season.
MORE: NHL Top 23 Under 23
Here are the oldest players in the NHL for the 2022-23 season.
Oldest players in the 2022-23 NHL season
With Chara hanging up the skates, Craig Anderson takes the honor of oldest active player. He entered last season as the third-oldest player and then re-signed this offseason with the Sabres on a one-year deal. He should be a part of Buffalo’s goaltending rotation.
In addition to Chara, Dustin Brown, Duncan Keith and Jason Spezza also elected to retire. Joe Thornton, Andy Greene and Brian Boyle would also be on the list, but as of the start of the season, they remain free agents.
Mike Smith is included on this list, but he is not expected to play this season. He was placed on long-term injured reserve as he rehabs from multiple injuries. His hockey career may very well be over.
| PLAYER | TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|
| Craig Anderson | Buffalo Sabres | 41 |
| Mike Smith | Edmonton Oilers | 40 |
| Mark Giordano | Toronto Maple Leafs | 39 |
| Joe Pavelski | Dallas Stars | 38 |
| Zach Parise | New York Islanders | 38 |
| Marc-Andre Fleury | Minnesota Wild | 37 |
| Jeff Carter | Pittsburgh Penguins | 37 |
| Ryan Suter | Dallas Stars | 37 |
| Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | Tampa Bay Lightning | 37 |
| Brent Burns | Carolina Hurricanes | 37 |
| Brian Elliott | Tampa Bay Lightning | 37 |
| Patrice Bergeron | Boston Bruins | 37 |
| Alex Goligoski | Minnesota Wild | 37 |
Who is the oldest player to win the Stanley Cup?
The oldest player to win a Stanley Cup is Chris Chelios, who, in 2008, won the Cup with the Red Wings at 46.
It was the third Cup win of his career and his second with Detroit.
Oldest players ever to play in the NHL
Age truly is just a number when it comes to the NHL.
A plethora of players have played hockey into their 40s. But only one player can say they’ve played in an NHL game while in their 50s, and that’s Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe.
After playing in the WHA, the legendary Hall of Famer suited up for one last season in the NHL, joining the Hartford Whalers for the 1979-80 season.
Chelios is the next closest to Howe, skating at 48 when he was called up by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2009-10 season.
| PLAYER | AGE |
|---|---|
| Gordie Howe | 52 |
| Chris Chelios | 48 |
| Morris Roberts | 45 |
| Jaromir Jagr | 45 |
| Johnny Bower | 45 |
| Zdeno Chara | 45 |
| Gump Worsley | 44 |
| Doug Harvey | 44 |
| Lester Patrick | 44 |
| Jacques Plante | 44 |
| Tim Horton | 44 |
Hits: 0
