Preds defenseman Mark Borowiecki hopes he’s remembered fondly in retirement

After 12 seasons, countless fights and a few missing teeth, Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki announced his retirement on Wednesday via his Instagram page.

Borowiecki played 83 games over parts of three seasons for the Predators, scoring five points with 201 penalty minutes, including 19 fighting majors and two game misconducts. He was limited to just four games in 2022 after suffering a concussion just a few games into the season.

On his Instagram, Mark Borowiecki announces his retirement. 458 games, but as big an impact off the ice as on. https://t.co/H7Jk5GsKGf

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 3, 2023

“A friends of mine who played a long, long time in the NHL asked me when I was a young player breaking into the league what I wanted my legacy to be,” Borowiecki wrote. “He told me that being remembered as a good person and good teammate would always be far more important than any on-ice accomplishments. I really hope that I have achieved that.”

An intimidating figure on the ice, Borowiecki’s demeanor couldn’t have been any more different away from the game. He ingratiated himself to the Nashville community during the COVID pandemic — just weeks after joining the team — after presenting donations to both the Nashville LGBT Chamber and the Oasis Center’s “Just Us” Program.

Beloved by the community, outgoing Predators general manager David Poile hinted during his end-of-season news conference that the door is potentially open for Borowiecki to remain with the organization perhaps as a team ambassador or in another non-playing capacity.

“If he doesn’t want to play anymore, I would certainly like to talk to him,” Poile said. “…Boro has been around all the time; we missed Boro in our lineup, not only his physical presence but the person that he is — he’s a real mentor to the younger guys.

“He really helped us this year, especially down the stretch when we had all these injuries. We had a portion of people who had to be left behind on trips, so we had an off-ice crew doing rehabs and an on-ice crew…and he did a really good job. He’s a guy that we’re going to talk to, regardless of playing status after the season.”

Borowiecki ends his career with 15 goals, 56 points and 848 penalty minutes over 12 seasons. Only six players have more fighting majors than his 74 since he entered the league in 2011.