Little Retires As A Jet

Rare are the players who spend an entire career with one team, let alone one franchise any longer. There will be some from this era who will wear that honour - Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid all seem like locks - but finding guys further down the depth charts who fit that rare situation becomes harder and harder. Bryan Little technically fits the bill despite the Jets trading his contract late in his career, but he wasn't slated to play any games after his eardrum injury. Whatever your thoughts are on Bryan Little's status as a one-franchise guy, Little will now close the book on his successful NHL career by signing a one-day contract in Winnipeg to retire as a Winnipeg Jets forward, correcting the contract trade made by the Jets.

The Jets announced today that they'll celebrate Little's career as both a Thrashers and Jets forward on October 20 when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Canada Life Centre. The 12th-overall pick in 2006 retires with 217 goals scored and 304 assists added in 843 NHL games. He also added four goals and eight assists in 27 playoff games, all of which came with the Winnipeg Jets.

"It's a great honour that I can retire as a member of the Winnipeg Jets and end my playing career with the organization where I was drafted and played my entire NHL career," Little stated.

"I had the privilege to play in Winnipeg and in front of the amazing fans for nine seasons, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to thank the Jets, their fans and the city of Winnipeg. It will truly be a full-circle moment for my family and I to celebrate my retirement in the building where I have so many special memories."

We shouldn't forget that Little was a key member of the 2007-08 AHL Chicago Wolves team that captured the Calder Cup. While he only played 34 regular season games with the Wolves, he did score nine goals and 16 assists. It was in the playoffs, though, where the 19 year-old Little showed he was ready for a bigger stage after scoring eight goals and four assists in 24 playoff games en route to hoisting the Calder Cup.

2007 also saw Bryan Little hoisting a gold medal as a member of Team Canada's World Junior Championship squad. The team was stacked with talent that year - Jonathan Toews, Brad Marchand, and Sam Gagner - but Little showed his mettle by skating in six games, scoring one goal and one assist in Leksand, Sweden as Canada downed Russia by a 4-2 score in the gold medal game. Little's assist came in a 3-0 win against Slovakia on a Steve Downie power-play goal, and he scored Canada's second goal in the gold medal game, beating Semyon Varlamov with 2:31 to play in the first period.

This followed a very successful junior career with the Barrie Colts where the Edmonton-born Little showed all sorts of promise as a playmaking center. In his four seasons in the OHL with the Colts, Little recorded 153 goals and 189 assists in 247 games, finishing his final two seasons with the sixth-highest scoring totals in the OHL. While Barrie never reached the Memorial Cup in his time there, it was pretty clear that the Colts had a special player among their talent.

Little's career came to a sudden halt, though, on November 5, 2019 when a high slapshot from Jets teammate Nikolaj Ehlers missed the New Jersey net and caught Little on the side of the helmet in the ear. It took some 25-30 stitches to close the cut from the puck, and he was diagnosed with a perforated eardrum once doctors had finished their examination. Despite him trying to skate and continue his career, concussion symptoms continued to plague Little, keeping him from returning to the lineup.

"Bryan Little is a crucial part of the history of this franchise and was a key contributor to the Winnipeg Jets throughout his time in the NHL," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said. "He was a humble, hardworking player that cared about his teammates and was a quiet, but important leader in the dressing room. Bryan demonstrated tremendous professionalism throughout his time here and it is a true shame that his career was cut short due to injury."

For those who want to trot out the technicalities, Little's contract was traded for salary cap relief along with Nathan Smith to the Arizona Coyotes for their fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, but Little never once dressed for the Coyotes. While his contract was moved to the Utah Hockey Club on April 18 this year, it was pretty clear that Little's NHL career as a player was over.

Little will officially retire for the only franchise for which he played, and while he technically lined up down center ice for two teams in the NHL - the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets - he'll always be one of those players who brought his lunchbox to work, put his hard hat on, and gave a full effort every time he stepped on the ice. He wasn't the flashiest guy nor did he cover the scoresheet in ink, but Bryan Little retiring as a Winnipeg Jet feels right.

I don't know what the next steps are for Bryan Little, but he's found another outlet since leaving hockey. Little is now a triathlete who has competed in a number of triathlons, and has fared very well! No one wants to see a pro athlete sidelined, so seeing Little embracing triathlons as his new passion is pretty awesome!

He embodied what it meant to be a Winnipegger on the ice, and he's humble off the ice despite being one of the better players to have worn the jersey. Bryan Little retiring as a Winnipeg Jet closes a chapter for one of the most beloved members of the team, and I look forward to the franchise honouring #18 on October 20 for the countless hours he spent scoring goals, signing autographs, and bringing smiles to faces.

Until next time, raise your sticks high to honour Bryan Little!