Report: Hjalmarsson retiring after 14 seasons

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is calling it a career after 14 NHL seasons, reports NHL Network's Craig Morgan.

Hjalmarsson, 34, has been with the Coyotes for the last four campaigns. He previously spent the majority of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he played a vital role on the club's Stanley Cup-winning teams last decade. Hjalmarsson was one of seven players to be part of all three victories in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

The Swedish defenseman was one of the league's top defensive defensemen for more than a decade.

All those injuries, all those blocked shots, all those long playoff runs, and you could still count on him right up to the end of his career. pic.twitter.com/qKnZKfTgAf

- JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 25, 2021

Since the beginning of the 2008-09 campaign, Hjalmarsson ranks second among all defensemen with 75.23 blocked shots per 60 minutes and 13th with 15.12 takeaways per 60 minutes.

The Blackhawks drafted Hjalmarsson 108th overall in 2005. In 821 career games, he scored 25 goals and added 147 assists. He also won a silver medal with Sweden at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

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