Mikko Koivu broke through in TPS and was drafted as the sixth player in 2001 before he took the step over to North America three years later.
After a season in the AHL, he was moved up to the Minnesota Wild and until last fall, he was loyal to the club.
In October, the 37-year-old changed club to the Columbus Blue Jackets, but there were only seven games before he now decided to put the skates on the shelf.
- It was not an easy decision because I loved every minute of my short time in Columbus, and I really hoped to be able to help the team reach its goals this season.
But I have not reached the level I want to be honest with myself and fair to my teammates, so it's time for me to end my career, Koivu tells Columbus' website.
He goes on to say that this is a decision he has been thinking about for a while.
"Could not enjoy the sport"
- I had to push myself to be ready for matches but did not get into the rhythm.
I did not get the feeling I wanted and could not enjoy the sport.
I still want to make it clear that everything has worked perfectly in Columbus, but I've been thinking about this for a while and it's not something I decided on overnight.
In total, there were 1,035 NHL games and 711 points for Koivu in Minnesota and Columbus.
He was also the team captain for Minnesota for eleven seasons, but never won a Stanley Cup title.
World Cup hero 2011
He also achieved great success with the Finnish national team where he won World Cup gold in 2011, two World Cup silvers, two World Cup bronzes and an Olympic silver and an Olympic bronze.
- It is difficult to describe how much the national team has meant to me and how proud I have been to represent Finland, says Mikko Koivu.