Matt Nieto’s NHL run is over.
The former Colorado Avalanche forward announced Monday that he is retiring at 33, ending a 12-year career that included stops in San Jose, Colorado and Pittsburgh. For Avalanche fans, though, his story will always be tied closely to the six seasons he spent in Denver across two separate stints.
Nieto played 287 games for Colorado and produced 38 goals and 52 assists for 90 points. The Avalanche first claimed him off waivers from the Sharks on Jan. 5, 2017, and the move quickly gave him a real foothold in the lineup.
His strongest offensive stretch came in 2017-18, when he set a career high by playing 74 games and scoring 15 goals. Colorado liked what it saw enough to keep him around, signing him that summer to a two-year, $3.95 million contract after avoiding arbitration.
Nieto would later leave the Avalanche, then return for another run with the club before finishing his career in Pittsburgh. His final NHL action came with the Penguins during the 2024-25 season, when he played 32 games and finished with one goal and two assists. He also appeared in 15 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL, posting three goals and four assists.
He did not play in the 2025-26 season. Injuries had taken a serious toll, including knee problems that kept him out for about a year from November 2023 to November 2024 and required surgery. After trying to work his way back and sitting out last season, he decided to step away.
“After 12 years in the NHL, I’m officially announcing my retirement from hockey,” Nieto wrote on Instagram. “The last few years, I’ve battled injuries that made playing hockey at the highest level difficult. I took last season off and did everything I could to find my way back.”
Nieto’s NHL totals finish at 705 games, 87 goals and 119 assists for 206 points.
He also made clear that while his playing days are done, his connection to the sport is not.
“Hockey will always be a part of who I am,” Nieto wrote. “I’m not saying goodbye to hockey, just to being a player.”
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