Three-time Stanley Cup champion calls it a career after another concussion
One of Sweden's most decorated hockey players has decided to hang up his skates following a concussion in January. Niklas Hjalmarsson, who won three Stanley Cups playing with the Chicago Blackhawks, left the NHL in 2021. After a one year break, he decided to return to HV71 Jonkoping of the SHL, the team he played for before coming to North America. However, this hit from Emil Larssons of Orebro a few months ago meant Hjalmarsson would play just 17 games in Sweden before being forced to end it.
"It has taken a while, Hjalmarsson said of his symptoms in a video on HV71's website. "Last week was the first time I felt completely one hundred percent. I was wondering and a little scared when it went on for so long."
Hjalmarsson made it clear that while he's retiring from playing hockey, he's not done with the game.
"I will see if I come back to another role in the future. I love hockey, that's what I've done and that's what I can do. Some kind of coach would be exciting to try."
With his name on the Stanley Cup three times, Hjalmarsson, who played defence, is widely considered one of the best players to ever come out of Sweden. Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, Anders Kallur, and Stefan Persson are the only players from that country who have won the Cup more times than Hjalmarsson. Each of them had four.
Source: AftonBladet
| POLL | ||
Was the hit that ended Hjalmarsson's career clean or dirty? | ||
| Looked clean to me | 25 | 64.1 % |
| Very dirty | 7 | 17.9 % |
| I'm not sure | 7 | 17.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
