Jesper Fast Announces Retirement from NHL After 11 Seasons with Rangers and Hurricanes…
Jesper Fast, a veteran right winger for the Carolina Hurricanes, has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey.
“It was a tremendous honor to compete in the world’s top hockey league,” Fast shared. “I’m deeply thankful to all the teammates, coaches, staff, and fans from both the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes who made my NHL journey so meaningful. I also owe immense gratitude to my family for their unwavering support throughout my career, as well as to Nässjö HC and HV71 for playing a key role in my early development as a professional player.”
Fast, 33, appeared in 703 regular-season NHL games over 11 seasons, playing for the Rangers and Hurricanes. He recorded 91 goals, 157 assists, and totaled 248 points with a career plus-minus rating of +41. Hailing from Nässjö, Sweden, he also competed in 80 Stanley Cup playoff games, where he contributed 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points, finishing with a +5 rating. Drafted by the Rangers in the sixth round (157th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Fast registered his first NHL point with an assist on April 17, 2014, during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia Flyers. He scored his first NHL goal on November 29, 2014, also against the Flyers. From 2017 to 2020, Fast served as an alternate captain for the Rangers and was a five-time recipient of the Rangers’ Players’ Player Award between 2015 and 2020.
Fast joined the Hurricanes as a free agent on October 20, 2020. He had a standout 2021–22 season, setting career highs in games played (82), goals (14), points (34), and plus-minus (+24). That same season, he received the Steve Chiasson Award, recognizing his determination, dedication, and inspirational presence on and off the ice. In the 2023 playoffs, Fast made franchise history by becoming only the fourth Hurricanes player to score multiple overtime goals in a single postseason — one in Game 2 against the Islanders and another in Game 5 versus the Devils, clinching the series. He notched his 200th NHL point with a goal against the Islanders on April 24, 2022, and reached his 700th career game milestone on April 9, 2024, in Boston.
Unfortunately, Fast was sidelined for the entire 2024–25 season due to a neck injury sustained in Carolina’s final regular-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 16, 2024.
