Dan Girardi
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

After 13 years with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, Dan Girardi is officially calling it a career.

Once a Ranger, always a Ranger. Former New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi announced his retirement from the NHL on Friday morning.

Girardi played for 13 seasons, 11 of them wearing the red, white and blue sweater of New York.

“I want to thank the New York Rangers for giving me a chance to fulfill my childhood dream of playing in the NHL. Throughout those 11 incredible years, I have made so many friends on and off the ice. I bled Ranger blue and gave it my all for my team, the city, and the Garden faithful,” Girardi said in a statement.

Girardi helped lead the Rangers to the 2014 Eastern Conference Championship and the team’s first Stanley Cup appearance since 1994.

The “Warrior,” as many in New York took to calling Girardi, has appeared in 122 Stanley Cup Playoff games as a Ranger, more than any other player.

Since the league began tracking blocked shots in 2005-06, Girardi has recorded 1,954, the most in the NHL.

Long-time Ranger teammate and close friend Marc Staal said this about the defenseman’s retirement:

“I was happy and proud to be able to play with him for as long as I did in a Rangers uniform. That’s something that we’ll have for the rest of our lives.”

He career ends with 927 games played, 56 goals, 208 assists and a time-on-ice average of 21:33. Forty-six of those goals and 184 assists came as a member of the Rangers.

Follow Frank on TWITTER

A graduate of St. John's University class of '91. I have been a fan of the New York Rangers since the days of Peter Puck. Founder of Ranger Proud, the Facebook page that covers all news, notes, pre /post-game stats, and player quotes. I can be reached at [email protected]