SAINT PAUL — Matt Dumba, 32, announced his retirement Friday after 13 seasons in the NHL, closing a career that spanned 748 regular-season games with the Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins and bringing him back home to Minnesota where it all began. He finishes with 85 goals, 176 assists and 261 points in the regular season.
Dumba spent his first 10 seasons with Minnesota, appearing in 598 games and recording 79 goals and 157 assists for 236 points while helping the Wild reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs eight times. In 49 playoff games he added five goals, 10 assists, 15 points, 73 blocked shots and 104 hits. "Yeah, we're still very close right now," Wild captain Jared Spurgeon said. "I still remember the first road trips rooming with him. We've had a great friendship from the day he walked in here. So to see him up there and living here and putting his roots back here is awesome."
His impact extended beyond the ice. During the 2019-20 season Dumba received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and makes a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. His connection to Minnesota remained strong after leaving the organization following the 2022-23 season, and he returned to Grand Casino Arena earlier this month to deliver the ceremonial "Let's Play Hockey" call ahead of the Wild's home opener against the Boston Bruins.
"We see him outside the rink a lot as well, but see him back in that jersey it feels right," Spurgeon said. The two defensemen spent a decade together in Minnesota, and Spurgeon said the next chapter will be just as meaningful. "I think you can see just the energy he has, and just the joy he brings people around him. He's a very special person," Spurgeon said.
For 10 seasons Dumba was part of the Wild's identity on the blue line and in the community. After stops in Arizona, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Pittsburgh, his hockey career has come full circle with his roots back in Minnesota.