Recently retired P.K. Subban joining ESPN as hockey analyst

P.K. Subban is now a full-time member of the hockey team.

Subban signed a three-year deal with the sports network. He will work mostly as a studio analyst but will also do some games.

I knew for a few weeks. It has been difficult to know what I was going to do and keep it a secret. Subban said he was excited that they were now here. I did some work during the playoffs last year. I had a good time working with the people.

The decision was influenced by Subban's appearances on "First Take" and other programming.

Subban played for Montreal, Nashville, and the New JerseyDevils. He scored over 500 points in the regular season. He was a three-time NHL All-Star and won the NHL's top defensive award in the same year he reached the Stanley Cup Final with the Nashville Preds.

Mark Gross said Subban's addition adds more experience to the network's analysts and reporters.

P.K. brings a fresh perspective to his analysis, having recently retired from the game, but he also draws on much more than just his experience on the ice, which gives him a unique, fun perspective that fans will love."

"P.K.'s Places," a hockey version of the "Places" series, will be hosted by Subban during his final season in the league. Next year is when that series is going to premiere.

Subban said that he has had discussions about branching out into other areas of sports if the opportunity arises.

Many thought an announcement about Subban's future might have come sooner, but he was taking time to think.

I'm excited to bring the passion that I brought to the ice to something else. He hopes that they're as excited as he is to start. The people that follow and know me are aware of my honesty. Hopefully, they want to see me as myself. People are excited about that.