A former Dallas Stars defenseman is retiring after 700 games played in the NHL. Defenseman John Klingberg decided to hang up his skates on Friday.
In Dallas, Klingberg scored the third-most points by a defenseman in team history, with 374 in 552 regular-season games. He scored 40 or more points in his first five seasons with the Stars.
The Swedish defenseman also dealt with multiple hip injuries at the tail end of his career. In a chat with The Athletic’s Eric Stephens, Klingberg detailed how his time in the game was coming to an end.
“Bottom line is my body doesn’t allow me to do it anymore, and I’ve been trying everything to get it to a point where I can be the best version of myself, but I haven’t seen any positive feedback of my body wanting me to do it anymore,” Klingberg said.
“So what do you do as a perfectionist and as a competitor when you start losing hope that it’s going to come to a point where you want it to be? You start losing motivation, right?”
Well, the fifth-round pick from 2010 has gone through a difficult journey, having two surgeries to repair both of his hips. His body just isn’t responding as it used to when playing the game.
Klingberg told The Athletic that when training this summer, his hips weren’t giving him the confidence to skate and battle during NHL games.
Taking actions to continue his NHL career
While Klingberg was still actively trying to play at his best in the NHL, he was going the extra mile to try to make it work.
Klingberg was putting as much money and time into his rehabilitation process to play for the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
When the defenseman was having his doctor open him up for surgeries, he was telling Klingberg that his hips were some of the worst he’d seen.
Craig Oster, Klingberg’s agent, was amazed by the time and money his client spent in extensive rehabilitation to remain an everyday player in the NHL. He was determined to extend his career as long as he could.
“It was literally a full-day process to be ready to compete,” Oster said. “And it’s incredible for him to go through that unique surgery that has only been done by a handful of hockey players and a handful of athletes in the world and be able to come back from it. Another amazing thing.”
Plans for Klingberg’s future & career
While detailing the end of his NHL career, Klingberg mentioned he plans to be doing television work for SVT, serving as an in-game analyst in Sweden.
The former defenseman’s fresh perspective on high-level hockey will allow him to be at his best when watching other games.
“I feel like I’m a smart hockey guy, and I think I can be really good at it because I can come in and talk hockey through what I see in my eyes and from my experience,” Klingberg said. “I’m excited about it.”
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Former Top Stars Defenseman John Klingberg Retires