Former Flyers center Danny Briere retires

Danny Briere, the undersized center who led the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, announced his retirement from hockey on Monday after a 17-year NHL career.

"After taking a few weeks to think about it, it's time to hang them up and spend a little more time at home with the family," said Briere, 37, who lives in Haddonfield. ". . . The Flyers are where I played the bulk of my career. I've had a great time in Philadelphia and have been very, very fortunate to have the chance to play here."

Briere also played for the Phoenix Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche.

He spent six seasons with the Flyers, scoring 124 goals.

Listed at 5-foot-9, Briere was MVP of the 2006 All-Star Game, the same year he helped lead the Sabres to the Eastern Conference finals.

Briere set a Flyers record in 2010 with 30 points (12 goals) in 23 playoff games. Four of his goals were game-winners as he led the Flyers to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, when they lost, 4-3, to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime.

Briere scored 53 goals in the playoffs, tying him with Jeremy Roenick and Bill Barber for 45th on the NHL's all-time list. Briere had 116 points in 124 career playoff games.

A native of Gatineau, Quebec, Briere was a first-round selection (24th overall) by the Coyotes in the 1996 draft. He had 307 goals and 389 assists for 696 career points.

The Flyers signed Briere to an eight-year, $52 million contract in 2007. He played last season with Colorado and scored eight goals in 57 games.