For the second time this offseason, a former Hurricane has gone back on a reported deal made with a team in Europe. Earlier this summer, Juuso Valimaki's two-year contract with a team in Sweden fell through, paving the way for the Carolina Hurricanes to swoop in and re-sign the defenseman to a one-year deal. This time, it led to a player announcing his retirement.
News broke on Friday that Noah Philp was retiring from professional hockey. The news was a bit shocking on multiple fronts. For starters, Philp is only 27 years old, though his 28th birthday is right around the corner. Also, Philp agreed to a two-year contract with HV71 in Sweden before the draft. The sudden announcement caught everyone by surprise, including his new team.
Philp signed a one-year entry-level deal with the Edmonton Oilers in 2022 after attending the University of Alberta. He seasoned in the AHL with Bakersfield, where he became a solid scorer in the minors. He posted 19 goals in 2022-23 before stepping away for the following season. He returned in 2024-25 and scored 19 more goals. He made his NHL debut with Edmonton on October 31, 2024.
After 30 games with the Oilers across two seasons, scoring two goals and five points, the Oilers placed him on waivers last December. The Canes snatched him up. He made his team debut on January 4 against the Devils. Philp played one more game after that. He failed to win the scoresheet in either contest.
Most of his season was spent with the Chicago Wolves. He was limited to 29 games during the regular season, though he scored 17 points. During the playoffs, Philp was a key contributor for the Wolves. He put up six goals and 14 points in 21 games for the Western Conference champions, finishing in the top four on the team in both respects.
Philp was an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The Canes traded his signing rights to the Anaheim Ducks for the rights to Kyle Masters, who was flipped with a seventh-round pick for John Carlson's rights at the draft. Philp soon signed his contract in the SHL, though his retirement makes that null and void.
While it's a bit of a surprise, I can't help but respect Philp's decision. He said that this came about because his motivation for playing wasn't all there, and he'd rather step away than be anything less than fully invested. It isn't the first time he has stepped away, so we'll see if he's back in action soon or if the decision is permanent. Regardless, we wish Noah Philp the best in whatever he decides.
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