Blackhawks 'Mutt' Andrew Shaw Retires At 29, Citing Concussions

CHICAGO — Andrew Shaw wasted no time in making an impact with the Chicago Blackhawks.

In the second shift of his first game, he got into his first NHL fight. But the 10-year veteran who on Monday announced his retirement citing numerous concussions, also proved his worth on the offensive end of the ice with the first goal of his career. But it may have been the way Shaw approached the game that will be remembered most.

Shaw won two Stanley Cup titles with the Hawks during his career, which will end at age 29 after 544 career regular-season games and 72 playoff games with Chicago and Montreal. In a statement released by the team Monday, Shaw said that he was advised by team doctors to end his professional hockey career after sustaining a concussion on Feb. 9 in an overtime win against the Dallas Stars.

Shaw, who was known for his hard-nosed style of play, won Stanley Cup titles with the Hawks in 2013 and 2015. In a statement he released through the team Monday, Shaw referred to himself as a bit of “mutt” hockey player who said he felt from the beginning he would represent Chicago’s blue-collar mentality. While he still loves the game, Shaw said he had to listen to his body.

“There comes a time when every athlete needs to realize when their health is a priority and a future with their family is what is most important,” Shaw said in a statement. “That point for me is now. After several concussions, doctors have strongly recommended I stop playing the game I love. For once in my life, I’m going to listen.”

Shaw said in a Zoom call with reporters Monday that his history with concussions had been in the back of his mind for a few years, but that his love of hockey "pushed it away." But he said considering his style of play and his unwillingness to change his approach, the decision to listen to doctors became a necessity after his latest concussion.

When asked how many concussions he had been diagnosed, Shaw said he didn't know but characterized the total as "a lot" and "more than most."

Shaw said that hockey became his life after stepping onto the ice for the first time at age 4. He said the game is tough to walk away from, but he said his family and the desire to be there for his wife and kids became a priority. He said his desire to keep playing was a decision was supported by his family, which Shaw said didn't want to take the game away from him and never "wanted to be the reason I retired," Shaw said.

"My wife used to love when I'd fight —she just enjoyed it," Shaw said. "And now, later in my career, it would always scare her and so that's a sign to move on."

Dr. Michael Terry, the team’s physician, said Monday that while Shaw had fully recovered from his latest concussion, doctors recommended that he stop playing due to the potential for long-term consequences of repetitive concussions.

Shaw said that the idea of retirement after his moment recent concussion didn't immediately enter his mind. But he said Monday he's in a good place and that he realized the notion of trying to repeatedly come back from concussions didn't make for a good quality of life moving forward.

General manager Stan Bowman said there was never a time in Shaw’s 10-year NHL career when he wasn’t willing to put his body on the line. Shaw also established himself as a player who put his teammates over himself, Bowman said, adding that Shaw “exemplified energy, determination, grit and toughness.”

“(Shaw) was a player his teammates loved to play with, but that opponents hated to play against,” Bowman said in a statement issued by the team. “Though it is unfortunate that Andrew’s playing career is over, I admire him for making this difficult decision and putting his career and well-being first.”

Shaw has been on injured reserve since March 5 and had scored two goals and had two assists in 14 games this season. He may have been best known for a “heat-butt” goal he scored that was later reversed by video review in the second overtime of the Hawks’ eventual win over the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Final. He is also remembered for his goal off of his shin pads the 2013 Stanley Cup Final during the first of his two championship seasons with Chicago.

Shaw said he hopes to return to hockey in some form in the future, but has no timeline or specific direction he expects the game to take him. He looks forward to spending more time with his family and that he will be in and out of Chicago for years to come. For now, Shaw said he plans to return home to help his father build a home and get involved in the construction and demolition business, which he said has always been a passion.

"This isn't goodbye," Shaw said on the Zoom call Monday. "You're going to see the awesome face and hear this awesome voice a lot more .... but my life isn't over. I've got a lot more to live."

The former fifth-round draft pick finished his career with 247 career points, including 116 goals and 131 assists during his regular-season games. He also tallied 35 career playoff points (16 goals, 19 assists). He was traded to Montreal in 2016 before returning to the Hawks in 2019. He did not play in the playoffs in 2020 after sustaining a concussion in November 2019, against Colorado – which forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

"I will miss the locker room and my teammates from both Chicago and Montreal," Shaw said. "I hope they will miss me too. Though I might have been excessively loud, pulled a prank once or twice and given you a hard time, I always prided myself on keeping the mood light and being the best teammate I could be. It was a pleasure competing with you night in and night out.

"Most of all, I will miss the fans. I was lucky enough to play in two of the best hockey cities and fan bases in the world in Chicago and Montreal and I am grateful for my experiences with all of you. I gave everything I had every night for you, and you are the reason this was one of the toughest decisions in my life.

"Thank you all for giving a mutt a home, and a chance to live out my dream."