Ian Scott never made it into an NHL game, and only played in eight professional games over a four-year career. But it wasn’t due to a lack of trying.
Scott, 23, announced his retirement from hockey today, just a few weeks after the Toronto Maple Leafs elected not to give him a qualifying offer.
“No athlete wants to make this kind of post but I have decided to step away from playing hockey,” Scott said on Instagram. “Over the past few years I’ve been battling injuries and working hard to get back to full playable health but unfortunately I have decided to take a step back & start a new life chapter.”
Scott was the CHL’s goaltender of the year in 2018-19, his last full season of competitive hockey. He led the Prince Albert Raiders to a WHL title and was named playoff MVP with a 16-6-1 record with five shutouts and a sparkling .925 save percentage. He also served as backup to Michael DiPietro on Canada’s 2019 World Junior Championship team.
Scott missed the entire 2019-20 season after undergoing hip surgery, only to get into six games in the COVID-19-impacted 2020-21 season between the AHL and ECHL. This past season, injuries again kept him on the sidelines for all but one period of an ECHL game with the Newfoundland Growlers.
In 2019’s Future Watch issue, Scott was the fifth-ranked prospect for the Leafs, the second-ranked goalie behind Joseph Woll. The Leafs had a crowded minor goalie system, and Scott showed some potential, but injuries ultimately took that away.
All the best in the future, Ian.
