Chaz Lucius, a former first-round pick for the Winnipeg Jets, announced his retirement on Tuesday due to a hereditary tissue disorder.
The 21-year-old center played for the Manitoba Moose, the AHL affiliate of the Jets, this season.
Lucius said he was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which affects the connective tissue that stabilizes and supports the joints and organs in the body. He had dealt with joint injuries over the past several years, both in sustaining them and recovering from them.
“I thought I was just unlucky. With this diagnosis of EDS, I now realize that my body could not handle the physical nature of playing hockey,” he said in a statement through Newport Sports, which represented him. “Given this condition, my injury history, and the physical nature of hockey, I have been…
