Red Wings goalie Osgood retires after 17 seasons

DETROIT (Reuters) - Detroit Red Wings netminder Chris Osgood, one of only 10 National Hockey League (NHL) goalies to win 400 games, announced his retirement on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old, who won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings, but played in only 11 games last season because of groin injuries, told a news conference he was hanging up his pads after 17 seasons in the NHL.

"Knowing I can still play made this difficult," Osgood told a teleconference. "But I believe this is the best decision."

Detroit officials congratulated Osgood on his career and said he would remain with the team as a consultant.

"He was an incredible competitor with tremendous mental toughness," said Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland.

Osgood won 30 or more games six times in his career, highlighted by a 39-6-5 mark in 1995-6. He made the NHL All-Star game that season and again in 2008 when the Red Wings won their third Stanley Cup with Osgood on the team. He was in net in 1998 and '08 and the back-up in 1997.

He also played for the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues.

He finished his career fourth among NHL goaltenders with 15 postseason shutouts, eighth with 74 playoff wins and 10th with 401 regular-season wins. His overall record was 401-216 with 66 ties and 29 overtime losses.

He said his decision to retire was made easier after he posted his 400th win.

"I was going to play until I got it," he said.

The milestone came last December when Osgood made 46 saves in helping lift the Red Wings to a 4-3 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.

He played his final NHL game on January 4, beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on 22 saves.

His retirement decision could have gone either way, he said.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Julian Linden)