Leading scorer at the 2009 World Juniors where he helped Team Canada capture gold, the Vancouver Canucks' first-round pick (10th overall) in 2008, the guy the Buffalo Sabres gave a six-year contract to only to buy him out of it after two seasons, and the guy the Nashville Predators took a risk-free flyer on ($1M one-year deal) that lasted only half the season.
I do not use the word often, nor do I take it lightly, but having disappointed three NHL franchises - two of which were struggling and needed him to develop into a good player - he retired prior to last season, after failing to land a contract, at age 26, making him a "bust", despite respectable numbers for "a player" (64 goals, 78 assists and 142 points in 328 career games), just not worthy of a tenth-overall pick.
He's now affiliated with the Preds' "youth program", although I'm not certain how even that will pan out. I mean, it's not the best example to have, someone who can honestly say "I had enough talent to be a top-line player in the best league in the world but coasted through and made millions by not trying hard enough and not impressing my coaches!"; the Preds wouldn't have made a worse move by handing the position to alcoholic and former drug addict Mike Ribeiro, who has accomplished far more on the ice and is just as bad of a role model.
Here's Hodgson wearing the Sabres' recent/retro blue (home) uniform, on card #BUFF-CH from Upper Deck's 2013-14 Black Diamond collection and Double Diamond Jerseys sub-set:
