DCHP-2

hang up one's skates hanging up one's skates, hang up the skates Relating to all meanings, Chart 1, which returns all pronoun combinations and the definite article the represented by the asterisk *, shows that the phrase is most common in Canada, closely followed by South Africa (.za), where the expression is very frequent as well. The expression in yet another of a series of Canada-South Africa parallels, of which parkade and Gravol are two prominent examples. DCHP-2 (April 2016)

• 1 expression — Hockey

  to finish playing hockey for the season.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — This appears to be the original meaning of the term when indoor rinks did not exist: to stop playing hockey in spring when outdoor ice surfaces would melt. This meaning is now considerably rarer than both meaning 2, which is the most common meaning today, and meaning 3.

  • 1900  Osgoode and the Wellingtons will not meet until next Friday. In the meantime the Wellingtons will play Peterboro, probably on Wednesdays. The weather man cares not for the wrath of the schedule-makers. This week's soft spell played havoc with the hockey fixtures, and unless little Jack Frost, the original ice-man, resumes business very soon the puck-chasers will be compelled to hang up the skates. 
  • 1927  While the skaters have endeavored to keep in condition, with such mild weather prevailing this is almost impossible, and it would occasion no surprise that should these events be called off a number of the skaters will hang up their skates for the season. 

• 2 expression — Hockey

  to retire from a hockey or figure-skating career.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The expression to hang up [one's] skates has been used for a considerable time to mean retiring from a hockey or figure-skating career, whether professional or amateur. As seen in the 1942 quotation, its connotation of finality is apparent, as the speaker does not feel the expression is appropriate for the termination of an annual contract. The expression to hang up one's skates is influenced by similar phrases, such as "to hang up one's sword" ,"to hang up one's boots" or "to hang up one's boots/fiddle", which is defined as 'to quit work, retire, to die' (see DAE, s.v. "hang" (v)(4)) or 'to give up playing a game' (see OED-3, s.v. "to hang up" (2)).

  • 1930  Such hockey friends as Bobby Rosenfeld, Mickey McKee, Casey McLean and Annie Miller are not willing to hang up their skates and sticks without an argument on the question of advisability of continuing to try and win senior Ontario honors.
  • 1942  "It looks as if I won't make the top of the pile," the former University of Minnesota athlete declared, "so I might as well get out. I can't say I'm hanging up my skates because I'd like to continue playing hockey maybe as an amateur. I might play with someone else but I'm through as far as the Black Hawks are concerned." 
  • 1965  "We'll hang up our skates this June," ice star Maria Jelinek says it again
  • 1978  It's something [Gregory] didn't expect but, at the same time, he wasn't flabbergasted that Ashby had decided to hang up his skates. 
  • 1999  Three weeks ago, former Saskatoon Blade Grant Ledyard was ready to hang up his skates for good. Then, a heart-to-heart chat with his wife Lisa convinced him to give hockey one more chance. 
  • 2008  But Linden, a sporting icon in Vancouver, said Sunday [...] that he still needs time to make a clear-headed decision as to whether he'll hang up his skates after 20 NHL seasons. 
  • 2009  Jeremy Roenick, Claude Lemieux (again), Olaf Kolzig, Theoren Fleury, Patrice Brisebois, Mike Sillinger and Jason Smith also decided to hang up their skates. Chris Chelios and Mats Sundin remain without contracts and have yet to announce their intentions. 
  • 2015  Wickenheiser, 36, attended the gala with her left foot in a walking boot, the result of a surgery in February. Her goal is to play in the 2018 Olympics and then attend medical school. She has a post-career plan in place. She just wishes other players would prepare in the same way so, for the sake of their mental health, they're able to cope better once they hang up their skates. 

• 3 expression; in figurative use

  to give up or to retire.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — As a semantic generalization of meaning 2, there are also examples of the expression extending beyond the semantic domain of hockey or skating. Accordingly, hang up one's skates can be used to describe retirement from any field, such as business or politics (see the 1960, 1999 and 2007 quotations). Moreover, the expression can be further generalized to refer to the act of quitting or giving up (see the 1998 quotation, see ITP Nelson, s.v. "hang").
  See also COD-2, s.v. "hang" (n), which is marked "Cdn".

  See also: puck-ragging (meaning 2)  

  • 1960  Alfred Plourde (UN-Kamouraska), one of the persons named by Dr. Lizotte today as having disagreed with Mr. Barrette's choice, said that by the time the caucus was held he has rallied to Mr. Barrette's side and was now a loyal supporter. True, he said, he had suggested a name of his own choice at pre-caucus meetings, and had even said that he was ready "to hang up his skates," as Dr. Lizotte said, if Mr. Barrette was chosen. 
  • 1981  He met Bruce Howe some years ago when Mr. Howe, an officer of MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. of Vancouver, was trying to direct public relations for MB. Following that, Mr. Cormier, 40, left public relations to head CN Hotels, but Mr. Howe "persuaded me that (this) challenge was exciting enough to have one more go before I hang up my skates." 
  • 1998  Last week, when Cultural Affairs Minister Louise Beaudoin announced Quebec's plans to build a new $75-million mega-library on the site of the old Palais de Commerce on Berri St., the current tenants knew it was time to look for a new stomping ground. But Janet McNulty and Michel Comeau aren't ready to hang up their skates yet. 
  • 1999  She said she's been trying to retire for a year and a half. But now, a little persuasion from her recently retired hubby -- who suggested she "hang up her skates" -- as well as a desire to give someone younger the activities reins at The Drew, convinced her this month was a good time. 
  • 2000  "We gave [Ares] the option of leaving with dignity," said Dalziel, who was elected president in October. "He's done some wonderful things, but you know, sometimes people don't know when to hang up their skates." 
  • 2007  There can be few issues that are so stupefyingly boring and yet so fundamentally important as pensions. The challenge is that fewer Canadians have access to a pension plan that will allow them to retire with dignity, which guarantees soaring dog food sales when boomers hang up their skates.