Due to an incredibly painful eye injury, former Rangers forward Carl Hagelin has announced that his days in the NHL have officially come to an end, and that he will be retiring for good.
Carl Hagelin via Sportsnet YouTube, screenshot
Hagelin, who played in the NHL for 11 seasons, suffered his eye injury back in 2022 during a Capitals practice. Teammates noted at the time that this was beginning to impact his life outside of work.
What also didn’t help was his several hip surgeries he also had to undergo, which also kept him off the ice last year.
“I’m extremely grateful for all the memories hockey has given me and I’ve loved every single day of it,” said Hagelin in a post to his official Instagram account.
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“I’m gonna miss going to battle with my teammates on a daily basis, I’m gonna miss the ups and downs of a season. Nothing excites me more than stepping on the ice in front of 20,000 passionate fans.”
Over 11 seasons, Hagelin played in a total of 854 regular season and playoff games, representing several NHL teams including New York, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Washington. His career highlights include consecutive Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017 with the Penguins. Hagelin, originally drafted by the Rangers in the 2007 NHL Draft’s sixth round, started his NHL journey on November 25, 2011, with the Capitals, where he concluded his professional hockey career spanning four seasons.
“I want to thank all my amazing teammates, coaches, Doctors and other staff members that I’ve met and played with throughout the years,” he continued. “Lastly, I want to thank my family, my wife and my kids for all their support. They’ve made it possible for me to live out my dream.”
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