Nolan Patrick was a highly-rated prospect after several successful seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL.
After the New Jersey Devils selected Nico Hischier first overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers picked Patrick as No. 2.
Nolan Patrick was selected before such players as Miro Heiskanen, Cale Makar, and Elias Pettersson. But it didn’t turn out the way anyone had hoped.
A major migraine disorder sidelined him for a full year at the beginning of his career. Nolan Patrick did return to play but never got it to click with the Flyers, leading to him getting traded to the Vegas Golden Knights.
But Patrick’s bad luck continued. Due to a number of injuries and falling ill with Covid, Patrick only played 25 games with the club.
A hit from Nathan MacKinnon sidelined him with a concussion, and that was the last time he played an NHL game.
Already last year, NHL insiders predicted that his NHL career had come to an end, with the then 24-year-old going into early retirement.
And now, some months into the 2023-24 campaign, in which Nolan Patrick hasn’t had a contract with any team, it’s official.
Dylan Robillard, hockey journalist for The Hockey News, confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Nolan Patrick’s officially retired as a pro player.
He only played four seasons in the league, never reaching his full potential while battling serious concussion issues. He had 77 points in 222 games.
“Best wishes to Nolan Patrick in his future endeavours, who has already taken on a role as a skills specialist, video coach, and mentor,” Robillard said.
Nolan Patrick will now join Power Play Hockey, a mentorship program for hockey athletes, run by former NHL players.
And as Robillard mentioned, he will work as a skills specialist, video coach, and mentor.
Nolan Patrick won WHL Rookie of the Year, the WHL Playoff MVP, and the WHL championship.
