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NHL Forward Makes Unexpected Career Announcement at Age 28

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 8:49 AM ET

In a move that caught the hockey world by surprise, now-former Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings, and Columbus Blue Jackets winger Christian Fischer announced his retirement from the NHL on Saturday at just 28 years old.

Fischer, a veteran of 523 NHL games, told The Athletic's Max Bultman that he’s stepping away from hockey.

That said, the decision was surprising to the extent of leaving his agent shocked when he first heard about it, as he was already planning for the start of free agency with his client set to hit the open market.

"Fischer noticed that he had a couple of missed calls from his agent, Craig Oster of Newport Sports Management, who was no doubt wanting to plan for (free agency) decisions," Bultman wrote.

After 523 NHL games Christian Fischer is hanging up the skates – wishing him best of luck in his next chapter! pic.twitter.com/ll5h0SzxIT
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) July 5, 2025

In Fischer's words, he's moving on not because of injuries or underperformance, but simply to start a “new chapter” in life.

“I’m very thankful for all the people I’ve come across, and I’d tell you right now: I didn’t get here on my own,” Fischer said. “It makes me look back and just appreciate the whole journey, and it makes me very thankful for it all.”

Fischer told Bultman that he made the decision to hang his skates before free agency opened.

“Over the last couple years, I think I just look at my life and what makes me happy,” Fischer said. “Being around family and kind of my life in Scottsdale. Honestly, it’s just more so a decision of moving on into another chapter of my life.”

A second-round pick by Arizona in 2015, Fischer debuted with the Coyotes (now the Utah Mammoth) at 19 and spent seven seasons there, peaking with 15 goals and a career-high 33 points in the 2017–18 season.

Fischer later played two years in Detroit, including 79 games in 2023–24, before a reduced role led to a trade-deadline waiver claim by Columbus this past spring.

He played one game for the Blue Jackets before calling it quits on the verge of free agency this summer, ending his career with 62 goals and 75 assists over 398 regular-season games.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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