An emotional Evgeni Nabokov announced his retirement Wednesday from the NHL, just two days after he was traded by Tampa Bay to the San Jose Sharks, the team that drafted him in 1994. 

"It means a lot that this circle is coming to an end and I'm happy I will retire as a Shark," Nabokov said, holding back tears at a news conference attended by his family, friends and former San Jose teammates.

Nabokov played 10 seasons for the Sharks, a span that ended after the 2009-10 campaign.