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Former NY Islanders goaltender Kevin Poulin announces his retirement

Boston Bruins v New York Islanders
Boston Bruins v New York Islanders / Paul Bereswill/GettyImages

Former New York Islanders goaltender Kevin Poulin announced his retirement on Wednesday at the age of 33. Poulin had last played for the Laval Rocket, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens the last two seasons.

Poulin was a 5th-round draft pick of the Islanders in 2008 and made his NHL debut during the 2010-11 season, appearing in 10 games and posting an impressive 4-2-1 record with a 2.44 GAA and 0.924 save percentage. That season, the Islanders' goaltending depth was taking hit after hit, creating an opportunity for Poulin in January.

The Montreal native made his NHL debut in a game against the Edmonton Oilers when he replaced Nathan Lawson in net after two goals were surrendered in the first 5:17 of play. Poulin stopped all 19 shots he faced that night in a 2-1 Islanders loss. “After this game, I know I can play in the NHL,” Poulin told Newsday. “We’ll see if I get another start, but right now, it’s just a dream come true.”

However, his season was cut short in February when he injured himself in a freak accident during warmups. The promising 20-year-old caught his left skate in a rut and dislocated his kneecap, which required surgery. That was the best stretch of hockey he played in his Islanders career.

Columbus Blue Jackets v New York Islanders
Columbus Blue Jackets v New York Islanders / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

He played in five games during the shortened 2013 season and got a taste of playoff hockey, replacing Evgeni Nabokov in Games 1 and 5 in the team's opening-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In a combined 52 minutes of action, he stopped 14 of 15 Pens shots. Poulin was the team's primary backup to Nabokov the following season, going 11-16-1 with a 3.29 GAA in 26 starts for a team that finished 8th in the Metro with just 79 points and missed the playoffs.

After the team signed Jaro Halak and Thomas Greiss before the start of the 2014-15 season, Poulin signed a 1-year, two-way contract with the Islanders but knew his future was unlikely with the organization. He was waived and claimed by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Overall, in 50 career appearances with the Isles, he posted an 18-25-3 record and a .899 save percentage.

In 250 career AHL games with Bridgeport, Grand Rapids, Ontario, and Labat, he registered a 2.81 GAA, .910 save percentage, and a record of 115-97-32

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