Ryan Malone (middle) is set to have his contract terminated after Rangers placed him on waivers. (USATSI)
Ryan Malone (middle) is set to have his contract terminated after Rangers placed him on waivers.(USATSI)

Veteran forward Ryan Malone’s bid to stay in professional hockey after a rough 2013-14 appears to be coming to an end. The New York Rangers put Malone on unconditional waivers, which will allow the club and player to mutually terminate his contract. Malone, who has been playing with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford, told the Rangers he "wants to pack it in" according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.

Malone was signed by New York in the offseason after being bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning following the 2013-14 campaign. The 35-year-old missed significant time in 2013-14 after getting injured and later due to an April arrest on DUI and drug possession charges. Malone agreed to a pretrial diversion program and took part in the NHL’s substance abuse program, which allowed him to return to the league.

After making the Rangers out of training camp to start the season, Malone was sent to the Hartford Wolf Pack after just six games. It appeared unlikely he'd be part of the Rangers plans going forward this season and hadn't appeared in a game with the big club since Nov. 3. He put up 10 points in 24 games in the AHL.

This is probably the end of the road for Malone, who had 380 points in 647 career NHL games. He broke into the league with his hometown Pittsburgh Penguins, the team that selected him in the fourth round in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He spent four seasons in Pittsburgh before joining Tampa Bay for the next six.

Malone topped 20 goals six times in his career, hitting a career-best 27 in 2007-08. That same year he eclipsed 50 points for the first and only time in his career with 51. In 2010, he was part of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team that claimed the silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. He had five points in six games for Team USA.

In six games with the Rangers this season, Malone was held off the score sheet while averaging just over 10 minutes per game.