By Taylor Rocca via Western Hockey League

Former Kamloops Blazers goaltender Connor Ingram has retired from the National Hockey League.

The 29-year-old product of Imperial, Sask., announced his retirement from hockey via Instagram Friday evening. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Ingram intends to return to school to study psychology.

“Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened,” Ingram wrote on Instagram. “Thanks hockey, I owe ya.”

Prior to embarking on his pro hockey journey, the 6-foot-1, 218-pound Ingram was a two-time WHL All-Star as a member of the Kamloops Blazers.

Ingram’s story is an inspiring one. Unselected in the WHL Draft, he was listed by the Blazers and signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement on August 29, 2014.

He made his WHL debut September 20, 2014, at Kelowna, entering the game in relief of veteran Bolton Pouliot. Ingram recorded his first career WHL victory October 18, 2014, at Seattle, backstopping the Blazers to a 5-4 overtime triumph with a 28-save effort.

Ingram was steady as a rookie, going 21-21-2-3 with a 2.96 goals-against average, .904 save percentage, and three shutouts.

The 2015-16 season saw Ingram emerge as one of the best goaltenders in the WHL, logging a record of 34-15-5-4 with a 2.61 GAA, .922 SV%, and four shutouts. He was named to the WHL’s Western Conference Second All-Star Team for his efforts as the Blazers finished fourth in the conference.

Ingram’s impressive campaign put him on the radar for NHL scouts, and the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him in the third round (88th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.

Returning to Kamloops for the 2016-17, Ingram was once again vital to the Blazers success, going 26-14-2-2 with a 2.44 GAA, .927 SV%, and five shutouts. For the second consecutive season, Ingram was named to the WHL’s Western Conference Second All-Star Team, helping the Blazers to a fifth-place finish in the conference.

That season, Ingram represented Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping his country claim silver.

The Lightning liked what they saw and signed Ingram to a three-year, entry-level contract on April 4, 2017.  From 2017-18 through 2018-19, Ingram continued his development within the Lightning system.

He eventually got his NHL break with the Nashville Predators, appearing in three contests during the 2021-22 season, going 1-2-0.

Ingram’s first taste of full-time NHL duty arrived in 2022-23 as he joined the Arizona Coyotes. The netminder appeared in 27 outings, going 6-13-8.

On January 25, 2021, Ingram entered the NHL / NHLPA player assistance program, seeking help with what was an undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. He shared his experience in January 2024, as he was in the midst of a career campaign with the Coyotes.

The 2023-24 season saw Ingram take a hold of the Coyotes crease. Over 50 appearances, he went 23-21-3 with a 2.91 GAA, .907 SV%, and six shutouts. Ingram’s story of perseverance earned him recognition as the winner of the NHL’s Bill Masterton Trophy, presented annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey as voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA).

Ingram moved with the Coyotes to Salt Lake City, as the franchise became the Utah Hockey Club in 2024-25.

He joined the Edmonton Oilers during the 2025-26 season, appearing in 32 games, going 16-10-3 with a 2.60 GAA, .899 SV%, and two shutouts.

As the curtain closes on Ingram’s inspiring journey, he saw action in 134 NHL games, logging a record of 55-54-18 with a 3.01 GAA, .901 SV%, and nine shutouts. Through 158 career WHL regular season games, Ingram owns a record of 81-50-9-9 with a 2.68 GAA, .918 SV%, and 12 shutouts.