There have been strange retirements in the world of hockey before, but the one that involved a former New Jersey Devils prospect might take the cake on Monday. Mike Gould on Twitter reported that current Russian player Nikita Popugaev leaving the fastest game on ice. Popugaev was selected in the 4th round by the Devils in the 2017 NHL Draft. Unfortunately, he undoubtedly had some complications come with his hockey career.
The roller coaster and downfall of Nikita Popugayev began in the 2018-19 season. Popugayev started as a prospect with some promise and a fantastic shot. Some analysts even thought he had a shot to go in the 1st round of the draft. Over time, he became a prospect that no one could even pay attention to.
During his draft year, Popugayev got slated to start another season in the WHL with Moose Jaw Warriors. He played very well there, but then he was traded to Prince George. Things just never worked out there. He eventually gave it a second chance, but things went even worse in his second year there. So, he decided to leave Canada and return to Russia to play in the MHL during the 2017-18 season. What’s crazy is that even though he moved back to Russia, he didn’t fare any better over there. Eventually, he would end up playing for the Binghamton Devils the next season when he kept moving up and down Russian leagues.
But why did exactly Popuguev retire? It turns out that Popuguev is popular on Instagram. According to the tweet sent out earlier, Popuguev got 100 messages on Instagram. When looking at his account, he has a blue checkmark and 22.6K followers. The article also said that Popuguev wanted to try something new. His most recent video is a prank where he throws a snake in a taxi.
So, with all that in mind, it seems that Popuguev wants to become a social media Influencer. For him being so young at 22, it’s an understandable career choice. I’m sure he will be happy posting stuff on his Instagram. He missed the opportunity by not capitalizing on still playing because that will boost his followers on Instagram. Being an influencer seems to be as popular these days as being a professional athlete, so good luck to him. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see what he did with the Devils because he had to talent to become great.