Vegas officially Fleury for nothing as Hakkarainen retires at just 24 years old
The prospect acquired for Flower has packed it in.
HockeyFeed
Mikael Hakkarainen, the forward acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights from the Chicago Blackhawks in the infamous Marc Andre Fleury trade, has officially retired from professional hockey due to a congenital heart issue.
In Hakkaraisen's own words translated from Finnish publication Jatkoakia:
I got the crown at the end of January. I got severe symptoms and went to play too early. Since April I have been doing nothing and observing what the situation is. Now it has become known that I have congenital heart disease LVNC, i.e. trabeculating cardiomyopathy.
It means that I have a higher risk of having a heart attack on the ice - especially when there are contact situations. It would have been hard to play and I would have gotten a place, but you can't play with your health.
The 24 year old Finnish forward never played an NHL game, but his name came to prominence due to the Fleury trade. With his early retirement now, it's obvious what we've all felt for awhile... the Golden Knights literally just gave Fleury away for nothing. Ditto with Max Pacioretty, but I digress...
As for Hakkarainen, he's unclear what's next for him.
Again from Jatkoakia:
I would like to do something with ice hockey, but I can't say anything for sure yet. You just had to accept that you can't play hockey anymore. And that's fine.
While this guy may forever be linked with failure due to Vegas' ineptitude on the trade market, it's hardly his own fault and you can't help but feel bad for the guy. As it is, he'll end his professional career at just 24 years old with a smattering of AHL, ECHL and European professional games under his belt. He won't be the first young man to give up on his hockey dreams and he certainly won't be the last. The fact of the matter is that there are literally hundreds of young men like Hakkarainen who are forced to make this decision each and every season, we just don't hear about them in the news. Here's hoping Hakkarainen can one day look back at his hockey career and his 15 minutes of fame fondly.
