Christian Fischer has retired from the NHL after nine seasons, the NHL Players' Association announced on Saturday.
The 28-year-old forward had 137 points (62 goals, 75 assists) in 523 regular-season games for the Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets. He had seven points (one goal, six assists) in 46 games last season, including playing one game with Columbus after he was claimed off waivers on March 6.
He was an unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year, $1.125 million contract with the Red Wings on July 1, 2024.
"If you told me that when I was 10 years old, 'You're going to play 500 games in the NHL,' I would be the happiest kid you’ve ever seen," Fischer told The Athletic.
Selected by Arizona in the second round (No. 32) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Fischer had one assist in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"Probably in the last year or two, I've really thought about just kind of what I want to do with my life and what makes me happy and spending time with my friends and family," Fischer said. "... I know if I were to play another five or six years, I could do that when I'm 34, 35, I understand that. … It's what makes me happy and it's what I want to do, and I've got a great business opportunity to [pursue] and be around my family more and just basically move on that way."
