Center Antoine Vermette retires as one of the best faceoff specialists of his generation.Vermette announced on Thursday he was calling it a career after 14 NHL seasons with the Ottawa Senators Ondrej Palat Jersey , Columbus Blue Jackets, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks. The 36-year-old from Quebec won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2015 and most recently played for the Ducks, but he didn’t sign with a team after becoming a free agent last summer.“I am immensely grateful for all these incredible years punctuated by memorable moments that I will cherish forever,” Vermette said in a statement sent through the NHL Players’ Association. “It was a privilege sharing my daily life with teammates, to forging friendships that will endure well beyond the victories and defeats.”In the faceoff circle Ryan Callahan Jersey , Vermette had far more victories than defeats. He won 56.6 percent of his faceoffs, the ninth-best mark since the league began tracking the statistic in 1997-98.Vermette’s 8,948 faceoff wins are 14th-most all-time, and he led the league in faceoff percentage in his final season in 2017-18. Longtime agent Allan Walsh said Vermette constantly worked on his faceoff techniques always looking for an edge and was proud of his expertise in that department.“He was a guy that would always be relied upon to go out there in key moments of a game, especially faceoffs in the defensive zone or offensive zone to go out there and win the faceoff,” Walsh said. “We know how important possession is nowadays. Being able to control the puck on the (power play or penalty kill) or the last minute and a half of the game with a faceoff in the O-zone with the goalie on the bench is sometimes half the battle right there.”Vermette put up 228 goals and 287 assists for 515 points in 1 http://www.officiallightningprostore.com/authentic-adidas-ryan-mcdonagh-jersey ,046 regular-season games. He had 28 points and a faceoff percentage of 57.9 during 97 playoff games and helped the Blackhawks win the Cup in 2015 after being picked up at the trade deadline.“Obviously, he played a different role based on how strong the team was and especially down the middle,” Walsh said. “He’s a guy that whether it was to be more of a two-way shutdown guy or to be counted on to provide offense, he had some years where he scored a lot of goals and put up a lot of points.”Vermette also had a 482-game ironman streak that lasted from March 2009 until October 2015. CHICAGO (AP) In a matchup of teams on track to both lose 100 or more games, the White Sox avoided getting swept in a three-game series.Jose Abreu hit a tying home run off Jason Adam in the eighth and pinch-hitter Daniel Palka had a three-run homer off Jason Hammel later in the inning, leading Chicago over the Kansas City Royals 6-4 Thursday.Kansas City overcame a 2-0 deficit when pinch-hitter Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Xavier Cedeno (1-0) Womens Steven Stamkos Jersey , but Abreu homered with one out in the bottom half against Adam (0-3). Abreu’s 141st big league homer moved him ahead of Ron Kittle into sole possession of 10th on the White Sox career list.Avisail Garcia doubled, Omar Narvaez was intentionally walked and Hammel relieved. Palka drove a hanging slider a half-dozen rows in the right-centerfield bleachers. He tied the White Sox record of three pinch homers in one season, set by Oscar Gamble in 1977.”I wanted to hit a home run,” Palka said of his mindset.Rosell Herrera hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth off Luis Avilan, who got his first save in seven major league seasons.Chicago (38-70) won for the second time in eight games. Kansas City (34-74) had been seeking its first three-game sweep at the White Sox since June 13-15, 2014.White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez allowed two runs and five hits in seven-plus innings Tyler Johnson Jersey , leaving with a 2-0 lead after Alcides Escobar doubled leading off the eighth and Adalberto Mondesi reached on a bunt single.Jace Fry struck out Alex Gordon, Mondesi stole second, and Juan Minaya struck out Salvador Perez. Merrifield greeted Cedeno with his first big league pinch-hit homer.Lopez had been 0-4 with an 8.27 ERA in his prior four starts.”I felt good. I felt in command of all my pitches. I was focused today,” Lopez said.Royals rookie Brad Keller gave up two runs, five hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings.Narvaez, who has 17 hits in 10 RBIs in his last 12 games Victor Hedman Jersey , had a run-scoring single in the fourth. Tim Anderson had an RBI double in the seventh off Tim Hill.”Did a phenomenal job keeping us in the game,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.TRAINER’S ROOMWhite Sox: RHP Nate Jones (strained right arm) played catch for the first time in two weeks. … C Kevan Smith could to begin paternity leave Friday.UP NEXTWhite Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (7-8, 6.26) is to start Friday at Tampa Bay.Royals: RHP Heath Fillmyer (0-1, 3.29) is to open Friday at Minnesota.—