Recently, Bryan Little conducted an interview with Guelph Today where he discussed what he's been doing since his career-ending injury and in the article, said that he will officially retire from the National Hockey League when his contract expires, which is June 30th.
The 36-year-old hasn't played in the NHL since early in the 2019-20 season when he took a Nikolaj Ehlers slapshot to the side of the head, leaving him with a perforated ear drum and a concussion. Little said that there were days where he felt fine and wanted to return, but after consulting with multiple specialists, none of them recommended that he returns to a contact sport.
The Atlanta Thrashers picked Little with the 12th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Little joined the team prior to the 2007–08 season, having had an amazing junior career with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League, who retired his number back in 2020.
Little had 217 goals and 304 assists for 521 points in 843 career games with the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets. He also had 293 penalty minutes and a minus-15 rating. In 27 Stanley Cup Playoff games, including a trip to the Western Conference Final in 2017, he collected 12 points.
