In another time, Carl Hagelin was a fan favorite up in the Blue Seats at Madison Square Garden. The former Rangers’ playoff hero announced his retirement from hockey yesterday.

Once a sixth round pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, Hagelin played four years at the University of Michigan before graduating to the pros. After spending part of his first season in Hartford, Hagelin was called up by the Rangers. He would earn a spot and spend the remainder of the 2011-12 season with the Blueshirts.

Carving a niche as a feisty, checking forward who possessed speed and intelligent hockey sense, Hagelin became a fixture in the top nine for the Rangers.

First, it came under John Tortorella. A bit of a surprise, he scored 14 goals and added 24 assists for a total of 38 points with a plus-14 rating in 64 games as a rookie. In a nice postseason run to the Conference Finals, Hagelin hit the rookie wall. He tallied three assists but didn’t score a goal in 17 games during the playoffs.

Although he wasn’t a big scorer, Hagelin always brought his best assets, including game-breaking speed and two-way capability to his shifts. That made him a key to the Rangers’ penalty kill. Due to his instincts, he was a shorthanded threat. Two of his three shorthanded goals came in his first year. He picked up his third as a Ranger in 2013-14.

In his third season under coach Alain Vigneault, Hagelin achieved a new career high in goals with 17. Sixteen came at even strength, where he excelled. He added 16 assists for a total of 33 points over 72 games. While he was never considered a top player, Hagelin played a key role during the Rangers’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

On a deep team that featured Brad Richards, Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello, and Chris Kreider, Hagelin contributed well on a balanced roster that captivated the Garden Faithful. In fact, his seven goals ranked right behind team leader St. Louis (8). He finished that postseason with 12 points, tying him with Brassard and Richards for sixth.

His speed was a factor throughout the run. He scored two shorthanded goals and notched a game-winner. Hagelin proved he could perform when it counted. While some of his teammates received more ink, the diminutive Swede played his part well. Along with the checking duo of Brian Boyle and Dominic Moore, the man they called Hags was easy to root for. A classic overachiever.

The following season proved to be his last on Broadway. After setting a career high with 35 points (17-18-35) in 82 contests, he’s best remembered for scoring the overtime goal that beat the Pens in Game Five to advance to the second round. Using his speed and forecheck, Hagelin came out from behind the net and found enough room to score the winner at 10:52 of sudden death to give the Rangers the first round series triumph.

The 2014-15 Rangers won the President’s Trophy. Unfortunately, they ran into the upstart Lightning, who defeated them in an unpredictable seven-game game series that made no sense. There was no such thing as momentum. After taking care of the Bolts in Game Six to get the deciding seventh game at 33rd and Seventh, the Blueshirts were shut out 2-0 to lose in disappointing fashion.

It proved to be the last hurrah. Due to rising costs, the Rangers were unable to keep Hagelin. He was dealt to the Ducks in the off-season. The return isn’t worth mentioning. It was a bust.

Ironically, it was the Pens who coveted the underrated checking forward the following season. They wisely traded for Hagelin during 2015-16. After struggling with Anaheim, the old Hags found his game. Reinvigorated, he produced 27 points (10-17-27) with a plus-18 rating in 37 games. That even included a career best six game-winners.

In a twist, he was on the opposite side when the Pens eliminated the Rangers from the first round in five games. The Pens would go on to win the Stanley Cup. Hagelin had a terrific playoff by posting six goals with 10 helpers for 16 points. The most he ever had in a postseason.

He’d also win a second Cup in Pittsburgh the following year. Although his role was not as significant, he had two goals in 15 games. The Pens repeated as champs. He’d last 16 more games in the Steel City. The Pens traded him to the Kings for Tanner Pearson.

Hagelin was rerouted to the Capitals during 2018-19. Continuing to play a secondary role, he helped the Caps reach the playoffs three consecutive years. However, they didn’t have that much success.

After a challenging 2021-22 in which he struggled with injuries, it was obvious that Hagelin could no longer participate in a game. A freak injury during a team practice left him with a dilated eye. It nearly was removed. Complicating matters, he underwent arthroscopic and hip resurfacing surgery.

The combination of the injuries led to the Caps placing Hagelin on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) for the entire 2022-23 season. With his eye still a serious issue, it left him with no choice to retire.

“I’m extremely grateful for all the memories hockey has given me and I’ve loved every single day of it,” Hagelin posted on Instagram. “I’m gonna miss going to battle with my teammates on a daily basis, I’m gonna miss the ups and downs of a season. Nothing excites me more than stepping on the ice in front of 20,000 passionate fans.”

“I want to thank all my amazing teammates, coaches, Doctors and other staff members that I’ve met and played with throughout the years,” Hagelin said. “Lastly, I want to thank my family, my wife and my kids for all their support.

“They made it possible for me to live out my dream.”

For his 11-year career, Hagelin finishes with 110 goals, 186 assists, and 296 points with a plus-119 in 713 games. As a Ranger, he played in 266 games. That included 58 goals and 72 assists for a total of 130 points with a plus-57.

Congrats to Carl Hagelin on an outstanding career. Best of luck in future endeavors.