Devils 23 year old prospect retires from the NHL

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T. Tadi
September 27, 2021 (12:35)

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Nikita Popugaev, a fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2017, has retired from hockey. Why? He wants to be an Instagram influencer.

"What's that smell, brother? A legendary day, a new day. I got 100 messages from you guys: where's the contract, where's the team, where are you going?," said Popugaev in Russian on Instagram. "It's official - I'm done, I decided to try something new. Really need support, so friends, if you can, leave comments, likes, repost - I will be very pleased. There's a new video coming out today, the first video. I`m waiting for your support and today we`re gassing up."

Popugaev also changed his instagram bio to "Ex-hockey player", adding "new life from scratch."

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