Washington Capitals forward Carl Hagelin, who won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, is retiring after 11 seasons in the NHL because of a “severe” eye injury that has sidelined the veteran winger for more than a year.
Hagelin, 35, announced his decision on Instagram Wednesday.
“It’s been an amazing ride, but it ends here. Unfortunately my eye injury is too severe to keep playing the game I love,” he wrote in a post.
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“I’m extremely grateful for all the memories hockey has given me, and I’ve loved every single day of it.”
Drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, Hagelin has played for five different teams across 11 seasons. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. He also won an Olympic medal for Sweden in 2014.
“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,” he continued. “Nothing excites me more than stepping on the ice in front of 20,000 passionate fans.”
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Hagelin has not played in an NHL game since sustaining a serious eye injury in March 2022, when he was struck in the left eye with an errant stick blade during practice.
He underwent surgery and two subsequent hip surgeries, including one this past February.
“I want to thank all my amazing teammates, coaches, Doctors and other staff members that I’ve met and played with throughout the years,” Hagelin wrote. “Lastly, I want to thank my family, my wife and my kids for all their support. They made it possible for me to live out my dream.”
Hagelin retires with 110 goals and 186 assists across 713 regular-season game appearances. He played in 141 playoff games, where he had 22 goals and 28 assists.
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