Former Ottawa Senators forward Kyle Turris decided to hang up his skates and take a job with the British Columbia Hockey League’s (BCHL) Coquitlam Express on Thursday.
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The 34-year-old center was an unrestricted free agent who appeared to be no longer involved with the Edmonton Oilers.
Turris didn’t quite live up to the potential associated with being picked third overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2007 draft, but he still had a fine career of 14 seasons, 776 games, and 425 points.
His best moments came with the Senators when he was acquired by Team Ontario in 2011. He spent six full seasons in Ottawa, amassing 274 points in 407 games. He set a career-high 64 points in 2014-15.
However, his offensive performance declined during his stint with the Nashville Predators and then the Oilers. With the latter, he only collected nine points in 50 games spread over two campaigns. It was not used in the last playoffs.
At Express, Turris will serve as a special advisor and player development coach. He was a member of this formation from 2005 to 2007 while they played at Burnaby.
“Organizing the Express has played a key role in my personal and professional growth. I am happy to have the chance to work with [le chef des opérations et directeur général] Tali [Campbell] and [l’entraîneur] Patrick [Sexton] as well as helping each player develop individually as the team strives to win the Fred Page Cup,” Turris said in a team statement on Thursday.