NHL prospect Chaz Lucius has announced his retirement from hockey at only age 21 on Tuesday due to his diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, EDS for short, affect connective tissue, leading to issues with skin, joints, and blood vessels, resulting in symptoms like stretchy skin, joint hypermobility, and easy bruising, per the Mayo Clinic.
Lucius last played for the Manitoba Moose, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets.
He played 25 games in Manitoba during this season, with his last game being on February 9. In his final season with the Moose, he had nine points with three goals.
Lucius was a first-round draft pick of the Jets in 2021, being selected at 18 and seen as a long-term project.
After one season of college hockey at Minnesota, Lucius played in the AHL with the Moose for three of the next four seasons.
NHL prospect Chaz Lucius has announced his retirement from hockey at only age 21
Lucius last played for the Manitoba Moose, the AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets this season
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Lucius also saw preseason action for the Jets and spent one year with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League.
Lucius represented the United States at the 2023 World Juniors, scoring five goals in seven games as the Americans took bronze.
‘After much discussion and consultation with Chaz, his representatives, and medical professionals, the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club fully supports his difficult decision to retire,’ the Jets said in a team statement.
‘Chaz’s condition and struggles with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) put him at risk of injury if he continues to play at the professional level, so we understand his choice. We wish Chaz all the best in his efforts to be an advocate for those dealing with EDS and hope for a bright future in front of him.’
Lucius himself released a statement – ‘It is with great disappointment that I am announcing my retirement from playing professional hockey.’
‘As I struggled with the incurring and recovering from various joint injuries over the past several years, I had thought I was just unlucky,’ Lucius continued. ‘With this diagnosis of EDS, I now realized that my body impacted by EDS could not handle the physical nature of playing hockey.’
‘Given this condition, my injury history, and the physical nature of hockey, I have been medically advised not to continue to play.’
Only one player drafted ahead of Lucius in 2021 has made an NHL All-Star Game, Seattle’s Matty Beniers.