“Due to numerous injuries, surgeries and pain in certain areas, my body is no longer able to compete at the level at which I would like it too,” he stated from his @KurtEtchegary account on Twitter. “I would like to thank all my friends, family, coaches, teammates and the fans for each team that I played for. It has been one hell of a ride, thank you all for making it so special.”
Over the summer, he signed with the ECHL's Toledo (Ohio) Walleye for the 2015-16
season.
He also took part in the Detroit Red Wings’ rookie camp and earned an invite to the clubs’ main training camp in Traverse City, Mich. The Walleye are the Wings’ ECHL affiliate.
He never played in Toledo, but instead played three games for HC Benatky of the Czech Republic’s WSM Liga, that country’s second tier of pro hockey. Back in North America, Etchegary’s ECHL rights were traded from the Walleye to the Norfolk
Admirals. He played one game for the Admirals earlier this week before calling it quits.
The 21-year-old is coming off a four-year career in career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, played entirely with the Quebec Remparts. This past season he was the team's captain, and collected a career higher 35 goals and 35 assists, and was a point-per-game player in the playoffs, with 26 in 22 post-season contests for the Memorial Cup-hosting Remparts.
