THE VERDICT: Ever-Humble Hjalmarsson Retires from NHL

It should not surprise anyone that the initial report about Niklas Hjalmarsson's retirement was just that. A report, somewhat cryptic.
This is not to impugn the work of Craig Morgan, an insider covering the Arizona Coyotes, where Hjalmarsson played the last four seasons after an illustrious run with the Blackhawks. On the contrary, the author cautioned that if we're anticipating a fancy farewell from Hjalmarsson, that's not his style. A declaration of world peace will come first.

The timing of Hjalmarsson's decision last week at age 34 should suit the man. The National Hockey League just had a huge week -- two drafts and release of next season's schedule. NFL camps are opening. The Summer Olympics have begun.
If Hjalmarsson were to elaborate at the best possible moment to bury the news, one suspects he would have selected Super Bowl Sunday. As it is, subsequent confirmation of Hjalmarsson's departure on the NHL website included a quotation of his from last March!
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Of course, fans in Chicago don't require any speeches from "Hammer." He made his statements on the ice as a superlative defenseman on three Stanley Cup champions, a circle of honor featuring very few Blackhawks, all of whom depended on each other for a decade of dominance.
Hjalmarsson talked when he had to, preferably about team instead of himself. He would rather plant his face in front of a flying puck than a television camera. He blocked shots like he was being paid by the bruise, double for stitches. When head coach Joel Quenneville wanted the opposition shut down, he tapped No. 4, whose consistently efficient way was as comforting to United Center sellout crowds as the flash and panache of superstars who were out there to score.

On the same weekend that Hjalmarsson retired without a word, the Blackhawks conferred No. 4 on Seth Jones, an imposing figure who has been around long enough to realize those are big shoulders to fill. There's no reason to think he can't handle it. Mind you, Bobby Orr wore No. 4 for the Blackhawks, albeit too briefly. But it was Hjalmarsson who thoroughly epitomized the spirit of that catchphrase: whatever it takes.
Hjalmarsson was selected in the fourth round and 108th overall of the 2005 draft, a rather obscure start. He spent parts of two years with the Rockford IceHogs, honing his craft. His first full season with the Blackhawks was 2009-10, and he fit in from the opening puck drop to the parade before two million fans. Not bad for a guy who grew up in Russnäs, a village with more cows than people, then went away to become a premium hockey player.
Why so humble?
"I don't know," he explained. "I guess it's a Swedish thing. I don't know how it is in other countries, but it's definitely a Swedish thing. You don't like to stand out too much. That's how we are brought up, how we are raised. We aren't about 'look at me' very much."
After the 2010 championship, Hjalmarsson was coveted by a number of NHL franchises. He signed an offer sheet with the San Jose Sharks. He could have been gone, but the Blackhawks couldn't fathom losing a talent they discovered and developed. They matched the Sharks' proposal, wisely so. Hjalmarsson, at a bachelor party in Sweden, celebrated. So did Chicago fans. He was a force on the blue line, different from Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, but ever so reliable, left side or right.

Hjalmarsson debunked the hoary stereotype about Swedes lacking toughness. As he stated politely, "Do you really have to fight to prove you belong in the NHL?" Not him. When he took a puck square in the throat, Hjalmarsson saw the bright side. He couldn't talk for two weeks, so no interviews. When his potential series clinching goal in Game 7 of the 2013 Conference Semifinals against the Detroit Red Wings was washed out, Hjalmarsson gladly passed on being a hero: "No problem, Seabs won it in overtime."
Typical.
"I make a lot of money playing hockey," Hjalmarsson said. "One of the best parts of that is I can do things with it. Share it. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about paying bills. Once you take care of your family, you do what you can."
There was the charitable gesture in Kenya, where a home was established for children who were poor, abused. Maybe 100 kids in all, desperately in need of a roof and meals and a chance. Then there's that shiny new structure back home, a place where Swedish youths skate and dream about being the next Niklas Hjalmarsson, a local legend with three Stanley Cup rings. But bling was never his thing.
So, he was asked, you built a hockey rink?
"No," responded No. 4. "The builders built it."