NHL forward Christian Fischer has announced his retirement from professional hockey at the age of 28.
The 28-year-old confirmed his decision to step away from the league on Friday during an interview with The Athletic.
Fischer explained his decision by stating it was time to transition to a new phase in his life. He expressed gratitude for his career, noting there wasn`t one specific major reason for his retirement. “It`s just more so a decision of moving on into another chapter of my life,” Fischer was quoted as saying. “I wish there was a big reasoning why, but in the end, I`m very thankful for the career I had.”
Speaking to The Athletic, the Chicago native mentioned his future plans involve “a business opportunity in the golf world,” though he did not provide further details.
Fischer was originally drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
He debuted in the league the following season at age 19 and played parts of seven seasons with the Coyotes organization.
He later spent parts of two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings before being placed on waivers in March and picked up by the Columbus Blue Jackets, appearing in a single game for them.
Throughout his NHL career, Fischer played a total of 523 games, recording 62 goals and 75 assists. He was known as a dependable bottom-six forward.
His sole playoff appearance was with the Coyotes in 2020, where he registered one assist in nine games.
Reflecting on his career, Fischer told The Athletic, “If you told me when I was 10 years old that I would play 500 games in the NHL, I would have been the happiest kid imaginable.”
