After more than two decades as one the most tenacious players in the NHL, Brendan Shanahan unceremoniously walked away from the game last week. And while his exit brought little fanfare, we thought it was only appropriate to give him a special Canadian of the Week sendoff.

This week’s post is a guest blog from accomplished journalist and avid hockey fan Amber Ray, who jumped at the chance to pay tribute one of the more beloved players in recent hockey memory:

Let’s all raise a Molson Canadian toast to hockey great Brendan Shanahan in the wake of his retirement after 21 years in the NHL on Tuesday. (It’s the hockey-watching beer of choice, friends.)

We could honor the 40-year-old Mimico, Ontario, native on his stats alone; from the NHL:

Shanahan finishes his career in 11th place on the NHL’s all-time goal scoring list with 656 goals. He stands 11th in games played with 1,524, 22nd in penalty minutes with 2,489, 23rd in points with 1,354 and 49th in assists with 698. He is the only player in NHL history to amass more than 2,000 penalty minutes and 600 goals and leads all NHL players with 17 “Gordie Howe” hat tricks. One of the game’s all-time clutch performers, Shanahan ranks fifth all-time with 109 game-winning goals. He tallied 237 goals on the power play, also fifth in NHL history, including a League-leading and career-best 20 in 1996-97.

But stats don’t account for how universally adored “Shanny” was. No matter which jersey he wore — the winger book-ended his career with the New Jersey Devils and spent time with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers and St. Louis Blues in between — fans could appreciate his integrity (in all those 2,000-plus penalty minutes, it would be hard to find a “dirty” infraction) and talent. That tally of Gordie Howe hat tricks — a goal, an assist and a fight in the same night — further hints at the kind of player Shanahan was, the rare, gritty power forward with skillful hand and fists. And that a lifelong fan favorite makes.

That’s not to say his career wasn’t without controversy. Shanahan was involved in a number of contract disputes, the last of which led to his retirement. (Off the ice there was also a Florida bar brawl in 1995 and the delicate details of his personal life — he married the ex-wife of former Blues linemate Craig Janney in ’98.) Shanahan left the Devils in October, saying “When I signed this past summer, [Devils GM] Lou Lamoriello, [Devils coach] Jacques Lemaire, and I agreed that if we were unable to find a suitable fit in which I would be able to compete and contribute at the level I expect from myself, then I would simply step aside.” It was a sad day in the world of hockey to see him leave the sport under conditions less than celebration and fanfare from the team he was departing.

But the legacy of the eight-time NHL All Star will remain as a respected, charismatic champion of the sport. The future Hall of Famer hoisted the Stanley Cup three times with the Red Wings and in 2003 was awarded the King Clancy Trophy for his exemplary work in the community. Outside of the NHL he won gold as a member of Team Canada in the 2002 Olympic Games, the 1994 World Championships and the 1991 Canada Cup.

In his own words, Shanahan said of his retirement:
“I would like to thank my family and all of the friends who have helped me achieve and maintain my childhood dream of playing in the National Hockey League. I am enormously grateful to all of my coaches and teammates I’ve had the privilege of learning from and playing along side of, throughout my career. While I always dreamed of playing in the NHL, I can’t honestly say that I would have ever imagined that I’d be this fortunate and blessed. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has helped me fulfill this dream.”

And as much as we’ll miss his poise and tenacity on the ice, we may miss his off-ice antics even more: