Boichuk, an islander who ends his career with an eye injury

Johnny Boichuk New York Islanders announced Wednesday that he has ended his playing career due to an injury to his left eye.

The 36-year-old defenseman needed 90 stitches to close his eyelid during a game against the Montreal Canadians on March 3.

“My peripheral vision is very bad, of course,” Boichuk said Wednesday. “And I think they said there was some optic nerve damage and other stuff, but it’s very difficult to process everything at once. I went and did all these tests and it was really, really hard. ‘You’ re not going to play again, or you should not, otherwise you Seriously hurt, it’s really tough. “

Boichuk returned on August 1 to play three games for the Islanders in the postseason, including two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final, although he said he knew “something was going on” with his eyes. Boichuk stopped playing as a result of subsequent medical examinations.

“There is some damage that has been identified as irreparable, I feel ess,” he said. “There may be something that will help me, but some are not coming back and that’s what I was told.”

The injury was second to the eye in March. Boichuk broke an orbital bone when he was hit in the head by a shot during a game for the Boston Bruins against the Vancouver Canucks on February 6, 2010, after which he began wearing a wizard.

Boichuk scored 206 points (54 goals, 152 assists) in 725 NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche, Bruins and Islanders, and 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 104 post-season games. He helped Boston win the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Boichuk, who has two seasons left on his seven-year contract, which he agreed to on March 12, 2015, said he did not know what to do next.

“Injury stops me from playing, so I don’t know if it will retire [long-term injured reserve], “Said Boichuk.” I know it’s not playing for me, because it’s basically not safe for me if I can not see things coming. For the future, I do not know what to do. It’s been two months since I went to the doctors and I am trying to think about what I can do but I am not sure yet. I want to be [Long] The island, apparently. We built a house there. No departure plans. But I do not know. “

Tweet from YNYIslanders: On and off the ice, he’s kind of. Thanks joboych. Pic.twitter.com/SahfdXcQmJ