When Phaneuf was bought out of the last two seasons of his contract with the Los Angeles Kings on June 15, 2019, he made it obvious that he thought he had hockey left in him and that he could assist a club trying to win the Stanley Cup. Phaneuf had a successful NHL career. As a defenseman, he was involved in almost every significant moment during games for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Kings. He is one of only four defensemen to score over 100 points in the history of the league. His number 1 has been retired by the Kings. Phaneuf's career came to an abrupt end in January 2018 when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood cells that often affects older people. The disease first showed up in 2008, when Phaneuf was playing for the Leafs. At the time, he had a bone marrow transplant but it did not cure his cancer. In 2009, he returned to play after taking some time off, but he never played another game for Toronto. He ended up finishing out the season with the Kings and then was bought out of the final two years of his contract on June 15, 2019. Since retiring from hockey, Phaneuf has been working with the Canadian Cancer Society as a volunteer ambassador. He has also spoken about his experience with cancer and how it has affected his life.