After 16 NHL seasons—some better than the others—it’s time to bid farewell to Loui Eriksson. If you’re thinking, “Huh, that’s not a name I’ve heard in a while,” then you’d be correct. After all, despite being a veteran of the league, Eriksson hasn’t actually played an NHL game since the 2021-22 season. After that season he left the shores of North America for the Swedish Hockey League. But that experiment didn’t last long, and now, over a year later, Eriksson has made the decision to hang up his skates for good.

In his retirement statement, released by his agency, Eriksson reflected on the ups and downs he experienced in his long career. But more than that, he expressed what a difficult decision it really was. “It’s time. After a year and a half of reflection, it’s time to officially retire. Hockey has given me more than I could have ever imagined. I’ve had the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but at the end of the day, I’m so thankful for the memories that I’m bringing as I walk away from the game of hockey.”

And while he made sure to thank every team he played for, Eriksson gave a special shoutout to the team that drafted him: the Dallas Stars. It was during his time in Dallas that Eriksson enjoyed the most productive years of his career, and Stars fans are sure to think back on his time with the team fondly. But other fans probably have a different perception of the 39-year-old.

You see, Eriksson was traded to the Boston Bruins, soon after which he signed with the Vancouver Canucks in a massive free agency deal. And that’s where it all went a bit pear-shaped for the Swede. He was never able to replicate the consistency he showed for the Stars and instead became a heavily meme-d figure while at Vancouver, a player who was overpaid and represented all that was going wrong with the franchise at the time. It certainly didn’t help that Eriksson had an ignominious start to his time in Vancouver by scoring an own goal in his very first game. And now that he’s retired, it’s the memories of his Vancouver stint that have stuck in fans’ minds.

Fans are quick to recall Loui Eriksson’s inconsistent moments

Several hockey fans reacted to news of his retirement by exaggerating his abilities. “Why? Bro is elite,” wrote one X user, questioning the retirement with pure sarcasm. This was clearly in reference to his much meme-d time in Vancouver, where he was far from elite. That user was not alone, “Canuck legend,” wrote another. After all, it was his stint with the Canucks that has remained the most memorable. For all the wrong reasons, that is.

Other fans reacted similarly, keeping their critiques as blunt as ever. “He retired 8 years ago,” read one comment. Ouch. Although his last few years in the league did not go so well, to put it lightly, it’s not surprising that fans have short memories. After all, his time with the Dallas Stars did take place nearly twenty years ago.

However, other fans were a little kinder in their testimonials. One chose to focus on the positives in his career. “Hell of a run from 23-32yo,” said the user. While not all of it may have been good, Eriksson has certainly left a strong impression amongst the NHL fanbase. “Those last 4.5 years.😬 Too bad. I loved that dude in his prime. He was terrific,” said another X user. Because after all, no matter how his career panned out in the end, there were times when Eriksson looked the real deal.

But regardless, it’s not easy to spend 16 years playing in the NHL. Some hockey players don’t even get half as much time in the league. As Loui Eriksson mentioned in his retirement statement, it was a dream come true to play in the NHL. And despite what fans may think of him, he has many memories to look back upon fondly.