Carolina Hurricanes Forward Jesper Fast was forced to retire after 11 seasons in the NHL with a serious neck injury.
The 33-year-old announced his decision Monday, saying: “I didn’t take the privilege of playing in the best leagues in the world for granted.
“I would like to thank all the Rangers and Hurricane teammates, coaches, staff and fans who made my time in the NHL special.
Fast was last seen on the ice in April 2024 when he was cross-checked to the board by Columbus Blue Jackets defender Erik Gudbranson.
Worse, the game didn’t affect the rankings as Carolina was already a playoff bound and many players were on break.
Hurricane coach Rod Brinder Amore said the incident made him feel “unwell” and in a year-end interview with the team a month later he quickly wore his neck braces when talking to reporters.
Last August, the Hurricane announced that Fast had undergone neck surgery, causing him to miss the entire 2024-25 campaign.
Watch: Jesper Fast OT Winner in Game 2 vs New York Islanders 2023
Enjoyed 11 successful NHL seasons quickly with the Hurricane and the New York Rangers
FAST was selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Rangers, and after spells in the Swedish and American Hockey League, he made his New York debut in October 2013.
He broke through the second half of that campaign, playing all three of the Rangers’ final regular-season games, and scoring his first career NHL playoff points with the Metropolitan Division semi-finals Game 1 assist with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Rapidly impressed in the 2014-2015 preseason, he ousted the New York roster out of training camp and scored his first NHL regular season goal on November 29th.
He finished the regular season with 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 58 games and was promoted to a top six advance by the time the playoffs rolled.
Fast collected goals and three assists in a seven-game playoff series against the Washington Capitals, and scored twice in Game 3 for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals.
He marked the first multi-goal game of his career, becoming the first Rangers rookie since Brandon Dubinski in 2008 and the first Rangers rookie in the multi-goal playoff game since Mie Credley in 1986.
He signed the Hurricane as a free agent in October 2020, scoring overtime and series goals against the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals later that season.
