Longtime Wild, Blues defenseman Marco Scandella announces retirement
Marco Scandella, who skated in 784 NHL games over parts of 14 seasons split between four teams, announced his retirement from playing on Thursday afternoon.
Scandella, 35, earned a reputation as a very strong defensive presence and minute-muncher during his best years with the Minnesota Wild, with whom he spent seven seasons to begin his career.
The Montreal product last suited up for the St. Louis Blues in the 2023-24 season, collecting eight points and averaging just 12:28 of ice time in 65 games while being used primarily in a depth role.
After 784 NHL games played, Marco Scandella is officially calling it a career – wishing Scandy nothing but the best in his retirement 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZOEt1IuyaS
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) September 4, 2025A second-round pick (No. 55 overall) of the Wild in the 2008 NHL Draft, Scandella spent his junior career with the QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs before turning pro on a full-time basis with the AHL’s Houston Aeros in 2010.
After bouncing back and forth between the NHL and AHL to begin his career, Scandella finally cemented himself as a key player for the Wild in 2013-14, skating in 76 games during the regular season and helping the team win its first playoff series since 2003.
Scandella ultimately remained in Minnesota through 2017, when he was included in a major offseason trade with the Buffalo Sabres in which the Wild received Marcus Foligno, Tyler Ennis, and a third-round pick in exchange for Scandella, Jason Pominville, and a fourth-rounder.
The Sabres never enjoyed much success during Scandella’s tenure, which ended midway through the 2019-20 season when he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. Less than two months later, the Canadiens flipped Scandella to the Blues in exchange for two draft picks; the Blues signed him to a four-year extension in the 2020 offseason.
In his 784 career games with the Wild, Sabres, Canadiens, and Blues, Scandella collected 51 goals and 170 points while averaging more than 19 minutes a night. He added six goals and nine points in 56 career playoff contests.