Christian Fischer retires from NHL after nine-year career
NHL forward Christian Fischer announced his retirement from the NHL on Friday through an interview with The Athletic’s Max Bultman.
NEW: Christian Fischer is retiring from the NHL at age 28. Here’s why the former Red Wing, Coyote and Blue Jacket is walking away so young, for @TheAthleticNHL:https://t.co/w9DsWEm73R
— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) July 4, 2025
The 28-year-old says in the days leading up to NHL free agency, he had missed several calls from his agent, Newport Sports Management’s Craig Oster, but that he had already made his decision: at the age of 28, he was retiring from hockey.
“Over the last couple years, I think I just look at my life and what makes me happy, and being around family and kind of my life in Scottsdale … it’s just more so a decision of moving on into another chapter of my life,” Fischer said. “I wish there was a big reasoning why, but in the end, I’m very thankful for the career I had, but just personally I think I know it’s time for a new chapter in my life.”
Fischer, a native of Chicago, Ill., spent the 2024-25 season with the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring a goal and six assists for seven points in 46 games between the two teams.
Through nine NHL seasons, scoring 62 goals and 75 assists for 137 points in 523 career regular-season games with the Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets. He also played in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games, recording one assist.
According to The Athletic, Fischer plans to shift into the golf world with a close friend in Arizona.
“I’m very thankful for all the people I’ve come across, and I’d tell you right now: I didn’t get here on my own,” Fischer said. “It makes me look back and just appreciate the whole journey, and it makes me very thankful for it all.”
Taken by the Coyotes in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Fischer had spent two seasons with the U.S. National Development Team in the USHL before spending one season with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, scoring 40 goals and 50 assists for 90 points in 66 games.
In his first full professional season, Fischer scored 20 goals and 27 assists for 47 points in 57 regular-season games with the Coyotes AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.
His most productive NHL season came in 2017-18 with the Coyotes, where he scored 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points in 79 regular-season games.