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Oilers' Oates decides to pass on return

Assist wizard, 41, retires after 19-year NHL career

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Edmonton Oilers center Adam Oates announced his retirement minutes after the Oilers were eliminated from the playoffs with a 5-2 loss Saturday night to the Vancouver Canucks.

“I wish it wasn’t for a few weeks but I have absolutely no regrets, the 41-year-old Oates said after his 19th NHL season. “I’m a very lucky guy. To be able to play so long has been fantastic."

Oates had one assist in the season-ending Edmonton loss, completing his career with 341 goals and 1,079 assists in 1,337 games. He played in college at RPI.

Oates signed with the Oilers as a free agent in mid-November after helping Anaheim to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season, the closest he came to wining the Stanley Cup.

Oates, who had friends and family watching his last few games in Edmonton, said he had no regrets after a career in which he played in five all-star games and with seven different NHL teams.

“I’ve had a chance to reflect and let [my family] see it one last time,” Oates said. “They’ve supported me for a long time and had to watch a hell of a lot of hockey games. I owe them a lot.”

Oates, who also played with Detroit, St. Louis, Boston, Washington and briefly in Philadelphia, topped the 100-point plateau four times in his career. His best season was in 1992-93, when he had 45 goals and 142 points for Boston.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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