DETROIT - Saying that it was time for a “new chapter” in his life, former Detroit Red Wings forward Christian Fischer has announced his retirement from the NHL at only 28 years of age. Fischer, who played a total of 124 games while wearing the Winged Wheel from 2023 to 2025, thanked those who he encountered along his NHL journey and expressed gratitude to those who helped make it possible. “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, via Max Bultman of The Athletic [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6472813/2025/07/04/christian-fischer-retires-nhl-red-wings-blue-jackets-coyotes/]. “It makes me look back and just appreciate the whole journey, and it makes me very thankful for it all.” During his time with the Red Wings, Fischer was used in a bottom-six role while also playing a regular part on the penalty kill. He ultimately played in 79 games for Detroit during the 2023-24 season, scoring five goals while adding 14 assists. It was also his first NHL campaign in four years in which he didn’t record a negative plus-minus rating. Selected with the 32nd pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, Fischer would make his NHL debut at only 19 years of age after getting his feet wet at the professional level with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. He would go on to play parts of six seasons with the Coyotes, the last of which yielded a career-high 13 goals. Fischer then signed a one-year contract with Detroit, and would later earn a one-year extension for the 2024-25 season. However, his second campaign in Detroit wasn’t as productive, as he scored only once while adding six assists in 45 games played. Designated a healthy scratch in 12 of Detroit’s 26 games leading up to the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, Fischer was placed on waivers on March 6 and subsequently claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets, with whom he played a single game. Fischer finishes his NHL career with 62 goals and 75 assists in 523 career games with the Coyotes, Red Wings, and Blue Jackets.
