Carl Hagelin Announces Retirement, Citing Eye Injury Suffered With Capitals

The 34-year-old played 11 years in the NHL and won back-to-back Stanley Cups.

ARLINGTON, V.A. — After 11 years in the NHL, Carl Hagelin is being forced to hang up the skates due to an eye injury sustained in one of his final seasons with the Washington Capitals.

Hagelin announced the decision on his Instagram account, sharing that the decision stemmed mainly from the ruptured left choroid that he suffered after a high stick caught him under his visor and went through his left eye at the end of a routine practice with the Capitals in March 2022.

"It's been an amazing ride, but it ends here," Hagelin wrote. "Unfortunately, my eye injury is too severe to keep playing the game I love. I'm extremely grateful for all of the memories hockey has given me, and I've loved every single day of it."

The 34-year-old had two surgeries and multiple follow-ups and said in April that doctors had to restitch around his pupil and essentially reconstruct his eye. The injury left him with partial vision loss and altered depth perception, as well as increased sensitivity to light.

"Depth perception was definitely a big deal. You'd miss pucks and they come in slow and then it would come really fast," he explained, adding that he worked with Dr. Keith  Smithson in Reston — the same doctor who has worked with the Washington Nationals Pitchers — to try and '"recalibrate my brain with the eyes."

Hagelin had resumed skating on his own following the procedure and was skating with an oversized tinted aviator visor, but he hit another obstacle as he was forced to undergo hip resurfacing surgery during the 2022-23 season after a hip procedure to start the year didn't resolve the issues and pain.

Despite the hardships, Hagelin stayed positive and said that he was determined to try and prove he could continue to play. The 5-foot-11 winger kept rehabbing off the ice and stayed hopeful that he could keep going.

"That's just my personality. I think I've always kind of lived in the moment. You know, bad things happen," he said matter-of-factly at the time, "I've also never really worried about what other people think or what they saw or that you should feel sorry about yourself and these types of things. I've always been positive and kind of see the bright side of things."

His contract with Washington expired in July, and he had not signed another contract before announcing his retirement.

"I'm going to miss going to battle with my teammates on a daily basis. I'm going to miss the ups and downs of a season. Nothing excites me more than stepping on the ice in front of 20,000 passionate fans.

"I want to thank all my amazing teammates, coaches, doctors and other staff members that I've met and played with throughout the years. Lastly, I want to thank my family, my wife, my kids for all their support. They made it possible for me to live out my dream. Thank you."

Hagelin spent four years with the Capitals following his trade from the Los Angeles Kings in 2019. He played in a total of 187 games in D.C., picking up 36 points. He played an integral role on the team as Washington's top penalty killer and also complemented Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway to form one of the hottest fourth lines in the league.

The Swede also won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. In 713 career games since being drafted in 2007, he registered 110 goals and 186 assists for 296 points.

Tom Wilson and more have taken to social media to congratulate No. 62.

At the end of the day for the Capitals, it was Hagelin's presence and resilience that made the most impact.

"I've never seen a guy so passionate about hockey," Alex Ovechkin said of Hagelin in April.