"For the last 20 years, I have had the privilege of playing hockey in the Swiss National A league. After much thought and contemplation, I have decided to officially announce my retirement from the game that I love.
I would like to thank the owners, managers, training staff, coaches and all the players that I played with over my career. I was blessed to play hockey for many years and it has given me many great memories and friendships, which my family and I will always cherish.
I would like to thank the fans for the support they showed towards me and their respective teams. Their passion for hockey is amazing and their support was very much appreciated.
I want to wish all the teams and players the best of luck for the rest of the season, and especially the Swiss National team for the upcoming Olympics. Growing up in Switzerland and being able to represent this great country was one of the proudest moments of my career. Enjoy the experience.
I would like to say a special thank you to my family who sacrificed so much over the years so that I could follow my dream of playing hockey. I would especially like to thank my wife and kids for all of their love and support through this amazing journey.
The memories, experiences and friendships that I have from my hockey career will always hold a special place in my heart. I look forward to the future as I know it will include hockey is some way and hopefully Switzerland as well.
I can’t thank you all enough.
Sincerely,
Ryan Gardner"
