Martin St. Louis Retires at Age 40: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

After 16 productive NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, 40-year-old winger Martin St. Louis announced his retirement Thursday.

The Rangers made the news official via their Twitter account, and St. Louis subsequently released a statement thanking those who helped and supported him along the way, per Craig Custance of ESPN The Magazine:

St. Louis was an unrestricted free agent after the Blueshirts decided against re-signing him, but he ultimately chose to conclude his fantastic career rather than carrying on elsewhere.

The Laval, Quebec, Canada native was among the best offensive players of his generation, as he posted 391 goals and 642 assists for 1,033 points in 1,134 career games. He played in six All-Star Games, took the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer twice and won both the Stanley Cup and Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP for the Lightning in 2004.

The Lightning released a statement on Louis' retirement:

"

We applaud Marty St. Louis for an incredible playing career and thank him for his many contributions to the success of the Lightning in his 13+ years with the organization. He'll be remembered and loved by Lightning fans everywhere as a catalyst for the 2005 Stanley Cup Championship team, one of the greatest players in the history of the franchise and for his unstoppable will and determination on the ice. We'll never forget the joy he brought to Tampa Bay as 'Louie, Louie,' cascaded from the audio system after each of the goals he scored on our home ice.

"

Despite his immense skill, few expected St. Louis to be a star at the NHL level due to his diminutive size. Listed generously at 5'8", he managed to excel in what has become a big man's game, according to James Lynch of Sportsnet:

The six-time 30-goal scorer developed into one of the NHL's most popular players over the years, and he left a lasting impression on many, including Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal:

As pointed out by TSN's Mike Kelly, St. Louis may very well boast a resume deserving of a Hall of Fame nod at some point down the line:

Although his numbers dipped a bit this past season, to the tune of 21 goals and 52 points in 74 games, St. Louis was still a fairly productive player at 40 years of age, which is incredibly rare in a sport as physically demanding as hockey.

He was an anomaly who seemed capable of playing forever, but the time eventually comes for every player to step away from the sport.

St. Louis decided to do precisely that while he was still a solid contributor, and that ensures that his legacy as an all-time NHL great will be cemented.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.