Cup Hero Max Talbot Retires; Reportedly Joins CAA

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Max Talbot, 10 years removed from being a Game 7 Stanley Cup final hero, has made the transition from player to player development, according to a report from Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.

LeBrun reported via Twitter that Talbot, 35, is going to work for CAA, the mega-agency that represented him as a player:

“Max Talbot has called it quits on his playing career and is joining CAA Hockey in player development. He played in Omsk this past season in the KHL. Stanley Cup hero with Pittsburgh in 2009”

Talbot was drafted by the Penguins in the eighth round in 2002. He already was a fan favorite, primarily as an energy and heart guy, before he scored both goals in a 2-1 Game 7 win at Detroit in the 2009 Stanley Cup final:

Following the 2011-12 season, Talbot signed with bitter Penguins rival Philadelphia. He also played for Colorado and Boston before spending the past three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia.

In 704 NHL games, Talbot had 91 goals, 204 points, plus another 18 goals, 39 points in 84 playoff games.

In April, Talbot made it pretty clear he was parking his skates with this Tweet:

“Dear Russia; big thank you from my family and I. Thanks to my teammates, staff members, coaches and fans. We grew and learned so much from the Russian culture over the last 3 years. We will cherish these memories forever. @hcavangardomsk @hclokomotiv @khl_eng большое спасибо”

Talbot has had a long relationship with CAA. He and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby became friends as teenagers before they were teammates through their relationship with CAA, which also represents Crosby.