NHL veteran officially announces his retirement from the National Hockey League

Klefbom last suited up for the Edmonton Oilers was on August 7th, 2020 during Covid. Since then, there hasn't been any word on his absence, and or if he had retired from the league.

However, the 31-year old has now confirmed that his professional hockey career is over, due to a shoulder injury back in 2012 before he even came to North America. Klefbom stated that the injury never fully healed and he was playing his entire career in pain.

«It is as it is. I wasn't quite done with hockey as a sport. But now it's over."

The reason why it took so long for Klefbom to announce his retirement was because he said it was mentally too difficult to talk about, and even stated he hasn't watched an Oilers game since parting ways from the team.

"It was a choice I made. I talked to Edmonton and said that I wanted to lay very low with what was going to happen and what the situation is. They were perfectly fine with that. From my side, it was also because I thought it was so difficult to talk about it.

I have barely watched a single Oilers game since I quit. It's been too hard. When I look, I just see myself there, see what I would do myself. It has been a struggle mentally."

Klefbom played a total of 378 regular season games in the NHL, all with the Edmonton Oilers, managing to score 34 goals and 156 points during that time.

Source: Bladeofsteel
Edmonton Oilers' Oscar Klefbom breaks silence on status after three-year absence