Former Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland retires

The notion of Deryk Engelland playing even one NHL game was far-fetched once upon a time.

So the reality of him playing 671 NHL games and making enough of an impact on one franchise to merit a press conference to announce his retirement certainly caused him to reflect on the remarkable journey he embarked on over 11 years.

“There’s lots of times that you’re sitting in the hot tub having a glass of wine with the family and you just kind of sit back (thinking), ‘Holy (smokes)!’“ Engelland said during a video conference with media on Tuesday. “We’ve come a long way.’”

“We” is a key pronoun in describing Engelland’s professional career.

That’s because his wife, Melissa, was on board for a lot of it. And in some ways, she was responsible for the best part of it.

A sixth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2000, Engelland never signed with that franchise and bounced around the minor leagues for a handful of seasons, including a stint with the Las Vegas Wranglers, a long-defunct franchise in the ECHL.

In Las Vegas, Engelland met his future wife and eventually made Sin City his permanent residence. But more on that later.

By the 2007 offseason, the Penguins took a chance on the rugged right-handed defenseman and signed him to a two-way contract. Engelland spent parts of three seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League before making his NHL debut, at the ripe age of 27, in November of 2009. He appeared in nine games that season and recorded two assists.

“You dream of getting that one game and eventually it came, getting that call up,” Engelland said. “I had to fight my way to stay up there, those first nine games that first year.”

Engelland credited former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach Todd Reirden, now an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, for improving his skating and allowing him to reach the NHL.

“We worked after every practice,” Engelland said. “Quick feet, that was my thing. I needed to get my footspeed up. He worked with me for five, 10 minutes after every single practice whenever we could. It paid off. My footspeed improved enough to call me up.”

Having gotten a taste of the NHL, Engelland realized he needed a greater commitment off the ice to stay at that level.

Thanks to Melissa Engelland taking on a handful of odd jobs, including as a cocktail waitress, Engelland was able to afford a personal trainer who put him in position to earn a roster spot entering the 2010 training camp.

“Just seeing the guys up there, how professional they were, how good the organization was, really put into perspective the work that I needed to put in the summer after that season,” Engelland said. “Thanks to my wife and family for putting all those extra hours in working so that I could go train and work out even more than I ever did before. Then I came back to that (ensuing training) camp.”

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Engelland opened the 2010-11 season on an NHL roster for the first time and quickly became a fan favorite for his ability to fight. That season, he led the Penguins with 13 fighting majors.

His first fight that season surprised a lot of people, including the opponent.

Engelland (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) bested long-time NHL heavyweight Colton Orr (6-3, 222 pounds) with a stiff right hand that dropped the Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Oct. 13, 2010 at the then-Consol Energy Center.

A few weeks later, Engelland got the best of another of the NHL’s top brawlers, Jody Shelley (6-2, 230 pounds) of the Columbus Blue Jackets in a bloody bout on Oct. 29.

“That was a huge fight (against Orr) for my career,” Engelland said. “That one and probably the Jody Shelley one. That was pretty close to the same time. Those two guys were extreme heavyweights in the league at the time. I was just trying to make a name for myself. Doing well (in those fights) definitely boosted my career and helped me get to where I’m at now.”

Engelland spent parts of five seasons with the Penguins in the NHL, helping the franchise win division titles in 2011, 2013 and 2014. While they fell short of winning the Stanley Cup during that span, the Penguins were one of the NHL’s top franchises in terms of regular season success.

For a handful of games in 2013-14, injuries forced the Penguins to use Engelland as a winger. He responded to that challenge by scoring a few goals while working on the fourth line.

“It’s the personnel in that locker room,” Engelland said. “(Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin), Brooks Orpik, (Marc-Andre Fleury), all those guys, the way they hold themselves and work and play, it was easy to just kind of follow them. Great leaders, great players and great friends. They really show you the way. It’s contagious.

“It starts with Sid and his work ethic and how great of a player he is. You just kind of jump on his back and do what you can to stay there.”

Engelland’s stay in Pittsburgh ended in 2014 when he signed with the Calgary Flames as an unrestricted free agent. After three years with the Flames, Engelland returned to Las Vegas, signing with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights franchise in 2017.

Partially acquired to serve as an ambassador for the Golden Knights given his previous service with the Wranglers franchise, Engelland filled that role aptly before the first NHL game in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 10, 2017.

Nine days earlier, a gunman killed 60 people at a music festival in the city. In response, the typically soft-spoken Engelland offered a brief but resolute statement of support to the community.

“It was tough,” Engelland said. “I’ve never (spoken publicly) other than to 20 guys in the locker room. Very nervous. But an honor to be able to speak. My wife put some work into the speech and all that to help me prepare and get exactly what we wanted from the heart. It’s going to go down as probably the biggest thing in my career that I’ve ever done. Just amazing to be a part of that and be able to affect so many different people in so many ways.”

Engelland would provide more than leadership that season, becoming a top-four defenseman and helping the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final during their inaugural season.

Now 38, Engelland will move on to a role with the Golden Knights Foundation and serve as a special assistant to owner Bill Foley.

In 671 career games, including 243 with the Penguins, Engelland had 127 points (30 goals, 97 assists) and 579 penalty minutes.

“When it all started 17 years ago with the Wranglers, I never would in my wildest dreams thought it was going to end here in the NHL,” Engelland said. “I’m very grateful to have started and ended here.”

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