Earlier in the offseason, Jesper Fast announced his retirement after missing the past season following neck surgery. This week, two more former Hurricanes joined his ranks as they stepped away from the game they love. Zac Dalpe and Riley Nash called it a career, retiring at 35 and 36 years old, respectively.
Zac Dalpe was a Canes' draft pick who shone brightest in the AHL
Drafted 46th overall in the 2008 draft by the Hurricanes, Dalpe took his talents to Ohio State University for two years before turning pro during the 2009-10 season. Dalpe made the NHL roster out of camp in 2010, recording his first NHL point in his debut with the secondary assist on an Anton Babchuk goal in the second period.
After eight games, Dalpe was sent to the AHL, but he was back up for a New Year's Day tilt with the Panthers, in which he scored his first NHL goal. Dalpe played three seasons in the Canes organization, scoring five goals and ten points in 41 games. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks before the 2013-14 season. With Vancouver, he played 55 games that season, scoring seven points.
Dalpe bounced around the league for the rest of his career, making stops in Buffalo, Minnesota, Columbus, and Florida. Over parts of 12 seasons in the NHL, Dalpe scored 16 goals and 32 points in 168 games. He even saw some postseason action with the Wild in 2016 and the Panthers in 2023, appearing in four games during the 2023 Stanley Cup Final as a Panther.
Where Dalpe made his largest impact was in the AHL, particularly with the Charlotte Checkers. He had the benefit of playing for two teams while they were Charlotte's affiliate. Dalpe ranks first in goals (131), second in games (362), and third in points (238) in Charlotte's AHL history. He served as the captain for four years, writing a beautiful letter to announce his retirement on the team's website.
Riley Nash carved out a solid depth role over his long career
After the Oilers made him the 21st pick in the 2007 Draft, Riley Nash honored his commitment to Cornell University, playing three seasons for the Big Red. Nash was traded to the Hurricanes in 2010 for a second-round pick. He spent most of his first two professional seasons in the AHL, but he got the call to the big leagues right before Christmas 2011.
Nash earned more playing time with the Hurricanes during the 2012-13 season. He joined the team for good over the last two months of the season, scoring his first NHL goal on March 2nd in a three-point effort against the Panthers. Nash finished his time with the Canes after five seasons, scoring 31 goals and 81 points in 242 games before signing with the Boston Bruins in 2016.
With the Bruins, Nash appeared to break out during the 2017-18 campaign. In 76 games, Nash recorded a career-high 15 goals and 41 points. He would never come close to those numbers again. He signed with Columbus and spent the next three seasons with the Blue Jackets. He was a bottom-six forward in Columbus, scoring 33 points in 179 games.
Nash was traded from Columbus to Toronto in April 2021, kicking off a crazy chain. He signed with Winnipeg three months later, was placed on waived and claimed by the Lightning, waived and claimed by the Coyotes, traded back to the Lightning, signed with the Panthers, and ended his career in the Rangers organization in a four-year span. Nash finished his NHL career with 176 points in 628 games.