Veteran Slovak hockey star announces retirement

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2007

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AFP) — Slovak star hockey player Peter Bondra, who competed in the NHL for Washington, Ottawa, Atlanta and Chicago, announced his retirement Monday following a series of health problems.

The 39-year-old said he will now accept an offer to work as general manager for the Slovak national hockey team with the goal of winning a medal at the 2008 World Championships in Canada.

"I kept this decision secret a long time. Across the Atlantic, they will only learn about this following the news conference," Bondra, who was born in the Ukrainian town of Loutsk in 1968, said.

In 1994-95 and 1997-98 Bondra's scoring success in the NHL earned him such affectionate monikers as "Peter Gun" or "Bang-Bang-Bondra".

He became the NHL's top scorer,...