Report: Former Canucks forward Sven Baertschi retires from professional hockey

Sven Baertschi, who spent parts of six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks between 2015 and 2020, has reportedly retired from professional hockey.

The report originated from Grégory Beaud of Swiss outlet Blick. Baertschi, 30, collected four goals and 14 points in 36 games with SC Bern in the Swiss National League during the 2022–23 season.

The Calgary Flames originally selected Baertschi in the first round (No. 13 overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft. The five-foot-eleven left wing put up impressive numbers over two seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks before turning pro on a full-time basis in the Flames organization in time for the 2012–13 season.

Baertschi showed flashes of brilliance over parts of four seasons with the Flames but was never able to establish himself as a regular player with the club. The Flames traded him to the Canucks in 2015 in exchange for a second-round pick that ultimately became defenceman Rasmus Andersson.

Upon his arrival in Vancouver, Baertschi found more success almost immediately. He spent three full NHL seasons with the Canucks, topping out at 18 goals and 35 points in 68 games during the 2016–17 season. But he later suffered a series of injuries that reduced his effectiveness and he found himself relegated to the American Hockey League for the majority of the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons.

Baertschi spent the 2021–22 campaign in the Vegas Golden Knights organization but appeared in just one NHL game with the club before returning to his homeland of Switzerland for the 2022–23 season. According to Beaud’s report, Baertschi still had two years remaining on his Swiss National League contract with SC Bern.

Through 292 career NHL games over parts of 10 seasons with the Flames, Canucks, and Golden Knights, Baertschi collected 66 goals and 138 points. The Bern, Switzerland product also appeared in two games and was held scoreless during the Canucks’ quarterfinal series loss to the Flames in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.