Former Rangers captain Drury retires after 12 seasons

Chris Drury retired from the National Hockey League (NHL) on Friday after a 12-season career where he earned a reputation as a solid two-way player and won a Stanley Cup championship.

The forward made the announcement through the NHL Players' Association a day before his 35th birthday and nearly two months after the New York Rangers bought out the final year of his contract following four mediocre seasons.

Drury was taken in the third round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques and went on to record 255 goals and 360 assists in 892 games with the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres and Rangers, where he was a captain for the past three seasons.

Last season, Drury appeared in 24 of his team's 82 games games during an injury-plagued campaign.

Awarded the Calder Trophy as NHL's top rookie in 1999, Drury helped Colorado to a Stanley Cup in 2001, scoring 11 goals and five assists in the playoffs. He is also a two-time Olympic silver medallist with the United States.