At one time, Michael Del Zotto was lighting it up on Broadway as a rookie for the Rangers at MSG. That was in 2009-10, when the former 2008 first round pick scored nine goals and finished with 37 points as a 19-year-old.

Fourteen years later, Del Zotto announced his retirement on Instagram yesterday. Now 33, the Canadian from Stouffville, Ontario, is ready for the next chapter in his life. He put up a good post touching on the ups and downs of his 14-year career.

That included some life lessons. He learned a great deal about himself when the early stages of his career were at a crossroads. The nightlife in the Big Apple took a toll on him. Fortunately, he rebounded to save his hockey career.

Del Zotto also learned what was important. The off ice charity work he did became a big part of him maturing as a person. Although he might not have had the career many envisioned, he played in 736 NHL games with eight different teams.

Most of his success came early with the Rangers. They took him with the 20th pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. Making the team aa a teenager, he got off to a great start in New York City. Del Zotto flashed the superb skating and skill that made believers of the organization.

Some of his goals and rushes thrilled fans. At times, he was brilliant. But he struggled mightily in his second season. A year that saw him get sent down to Hartford. A clear message from coach John Tortorella helped Del Zotto learn a valuable lesson. He came back a better player in his third year.

It was in 2011-12 that he had his best season as a 21-year-old. In what was a very good season for the Blueshirts, Del Zotto paced them from the blue line with 10 goals, 31 assists, and 41 points in 77 games. He finished with a plus-20 rating.

In the playoffs, he had two goals and eight assists. The biggest goal he scored came in Game Seven of a second round win over the Capitals at The Garden. That proved to be the series clincher. The Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1997.

The script didn’t have a Hollywood ending. The Rangers lost to the Devils in the Conference Finals. Del Zotto struggled during the series. Unfortunately, those struggles continued the following two seasons. He wasn’t the same player.

By 2013-14 under Alain Vigneault, Del Zotto was traded to the Predators for Kevin Klein. While he struggled to find consistency in Nashville, Klein fit in seamlessly in New York. He helped solidify a strong defense. Along with the memorable acquisition of Marty St. Louis, the Rangers made a great run to the Stanley Cup Finals. They lost to the Kings.

As for Del Zotto, he wound up signing with the Flyers as a free agent after the Predators didn’t qualify him. They were willing to give him a shot. He repaid them with a good season in 2014-15. In 64 contests, Del Zotto finished with 10 goals and 22 assists for a total of 32 points.

Despite that success, he couldn’t duplicate it. He lasted two more years in Philadelphia. By then, he changed his game. No longer was he as focused on offense. Instead, Del Zotto played a bit better overall by blocking shots and finishing checks.

He would move onto Vancouver, where he spent over a year there before getting dealt to Anaheim. After playing just a dozen games, he was traded to the Blues in 2018-19. At the time, they had some guys out on the back end. So. They acquired Del Zotto for depth. He had three assists in seven games.

Once they were healthy, Del Zotto became a Black Ace. The Blues went on a special run to win their first Stanley Cup during the 2019 NHL Playoffs. Even though he never suited up, Del Zotto became a Stanley Cup champion. That definitely had to be special for him. Especially after his struggles.

He’d spend parts of three more seasons in the league as a journeyman. That included a return to Anaheim for 2019-20. He then moved to Columbus for a year. His final season came with Ottawa. He only played in 26 games but totaled 13 points. Despite that, he spent last season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers and San Diego Gulls. He played well for the Gulls, finishing with 31 points in 40 games.

Del Zotto concluded his NHL career with 63 goals, 199 assists, and 262 points. Nearly half that total came in NYC. As a Ranger, he played in 292 games and had 121 points (26-95-121). Fifty-six of those points came on the power play. An area where he excelled in the early phase of his career.

Now, he can spend more time with his family. Congrats to Del Zotto on a good career.