Report: Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is expected to retire
Jul 25, 2021, 1:04 PM | Updated: Jul 26, 2021, 8:55 am
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is expected to retire, according to AZCoyotesInsider.com’s Craig Morgan.
Hjalmarsson spent four seasons in the desert after winning three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks.
His best season with Arizona was in 2018-19 when he played in all 82 games with a +8 rating, 10 assists and 44 penalty minutes.
Hjalmarsson ends his career ranked No. 18 in NHL history in blocked shots with 1,606.
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He is one of two players in the top 20 all time with less than 900 games played in his career.
At 34 years old, the native of Sweden also had a decorated international career, winning the silver medal in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and a bronze medal in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.
He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Draft by the Blackhawks and debuted in the NHL in the 2007-08 season.
His best season offensively was in 2013-14 when he scored four goals and tallied 22 assists with Chicago.
He ends his 14-year career with 25 goals, 147 assists, 172 total points and +106 overall.
