NHL star Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement Thursday after 20 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, marking an end to one of the best careers in NHL history.

He set and NHL-record by playing 1,564 games with one team.

The 42-year-old Swede won four Stanley Cup titles and was a seven-time Norris Trophy winner as the league’s best defenseman.

''My drive and motivation are not where they to need to be to play at this level,'' Lidstrom said.

Lidstrom had 34 points and a plus-21 rating that ranked among the league leaders last season. He had 264 career goals with 1,142 points and a 450-plus rating. After being incredibly durable for 19 seasons, he missed a career-high 11 games with a bruised right ankle and was out for another game with the flu.

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