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The Winnipeg Jets are heading to the playoffs after another great season in 2024-25. There are plenty of reasons for fans to be excited about the team moving forward. With Connor Hellebucyk as the best goalie in the world, they can be competitive for a long time. The Jets have a solid prospect pipeline, which included 2021 first-round pick Chaz Lucius. He retired on Tuesday due to a cavalcade of injuries,
On behalf of Chaz Lucius and his family.
We would like to congratulate Chaz and his family on all his career accomplishments and wish him all the best in his next chapter. pic.twitter.com/nVCapIbRh9
— Newport Sports (@TheHockeyAgency) April 8, 2025
“It is with great disappointment that I am announcing my retirement from playing professional hockey,” Lucius said in a statement through his agency. “Recently, I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) which is a hereditary disorder that affects the connective tissue that stabilizes and supports the joints and organs throughout the body.”
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“As I struggled with incurring and recovering from various joint injuries over the past several years, I had thought I was just unlucky. With this diagnosis of EDS, I now realize 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 to stop playing hockey.”
This is brutal news for Lucius, who showed signs of being a true NHL star for the Jets. He had seven points in seven games in the World Junior Championships in 2023. That includes the game-winning goal in the Bronze Medal Game. His injuries began that season, missing a chunk of the University of Minnesota's season. In two seasons in the American Hockey League, he has only played 42 games.
Still, the rest of the Jets' pipeline is solid and could provide a new breadth of talent to the organization. Brayden Yager and Brad Lambert highlight the remaining group. But they have taken a big hit losing Lucius.
