Carl Hagelin, 35, announced his retirement from the NHL via an Instagram post on Wednesday, August 30th, citing a scary eye injury he suffered in 2022. “Unfortunately, my eye injury is too severe to keep playing the game I love,” Hagelin stated in his Instagram caption. After taking a stick to the face during a drill in practice, the forward suffered from a ruptured choroid in his left eye, altering his vision permanently. Carl Hagelin remained out of the Captials’ lineup for the entirety of the 2022-2023 season. He made attempts to rejoin the lineup, skating at practice now and again; however, hip ailments required two surgeries during the season, ending his career prematurely.
Career and achievements
Carl Hagelin spent 5 years with the Washington Capitals organization, joining the team in the 2018-2019 season as Washington was fresh off of its Stanley Cup Championship run. Before that, Hagelin spent one season each with the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks and four seasons each with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers. He finished his career with 296 points in 713 games played across eleven seasons in the league. Additionally, he won the Stanley Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins during their back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017.
In his own words
“It’s been an amazing ride, but it ends here,” the Swedish forward began in his Instagram caption. He reflected on how much he loved hockey and all of the memories it gave him and went on to thank his “teammates, coaches, doctors, and other staff members that [he has] met and played with throughout the years.” Finally, he thanked his family, wife, and kids for their continued support, stating, “They made it possible for me to live out my dream.” His posted photos chronicled his time throughout the sport, all the way back to his time with the University of Michigan and his little league teams. Hagelin also threw in a touch of humor by featuring a screenshot from the infamous “penalty box party,” in which six Capitals players were in the box after a line brawl against the Rangers. Carl Hagelin’s former teammates and others in the league wished him well in their comments, leaving words such as “Congrats on an amazing career, Hagge!” (Henrik Lundqvist) and “A champion forever 🏆🏆” (Pittsburgh Penguins).
I wish Carl Hagelin a fun, healthy, and relaxing retirement!
