As a player, there are a lot of boxes you try and tick off. Florida, for me, just happened to be at the top of each category.’

Kyle Okposo, the former Sabres captain who capped his 17 NHL seasons by winning his first Stanley Cup with the Panthers, has announced his retirement.

Former NHL player Kyle Okposo retired after winning a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, ending a 17-year career. He played mostly with the Islanders and Sabres, scoring 242 goals.

NHL veteran Kyle Okposo was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the Florida Panthers in hopes of getting the 36-year-old his first Stanley Cup. Not only did the Panthers go on to win the Cup, but Okposo gets to go out on top.

That is, except at the Florida Panthers' practice facility. The champs are back to work. Florida opens training camp on Thursday and coach Paul Maurice is making this much clear: It's time to start building for the next title run, not time to keep reveling in the title run that was completed in June.

“We'll be very sure that our day is completely focused on what we're doing, not living in the past, and maybe more importantly, that whole hangover idea of not living in the future,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice.

When the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup, Kyle Okposo lifted the trophy for the first time. While he didn’t have a massive impact on the team, it was still a great send-off to his 17-year NHL career.

The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are extending their operating agreement with Broward County for five more years, ensuring that the team remains in the market through 2033 and likely well beyond.

Forward Kyle Okposo announced his retirement Thursday after 17 seasons with the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and champion Florida Panthers.