Lundqvist retires after 15 seasons
Legendary goaltender Henrik Lundqvist announced his retirement from the NHL after spending 15 seasons with the New York Rangers.
— Henrik Lundqvist (@hlundqvist35) August 20, 2021
Lundqvist was forced to sit out this past season after undergoing surgery to repair a heart condition. He had signed a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals last offseason before team doctors discovered the condition.
The 39-year-old was gearing up for a potential return to the NHL this year, but didn't receive medical clearance to play.
“I was hoping I would be 100% by this time," Lundqvist said, according to The New York Post's Larry Brooks. "But I was told that inflammation takes a long time to correct and with medication I might be out of the woods, but it could be another full year before I would be 100%.
“So I thought about this, talked with my closest friends, my family, and my wife, Therese. This year was probably harder for her than for me. She is such a strong woman. It came down to how badly I wanted to push it, how much of a gamble did I want to take? And I came to the conclusion that there are too many unknowns and too much risk for not enough reward for me to keep playing."
The Rangers announced the club will retire his number and raise his jersey to the rafters of Madison Square Garden this upcoming season.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) August 20, 2021
The Swedish native was named an NHL All-Star five times during his career and was a five-time nominee for the Vezina Trophy - winning once in 2012. He won a gold medal at the Olympics in 2006 and a silver in 2014. Lundqvist never won the Stanley Cup, but led the Rangers on a number of impressive playoff runs throughout his career - including a run to the final in 2014.
Despite not being able to go out on his own terms, Lundqvist confirmed he's "at peace" with the decision to step away from hockey.
"I look back at my career, and all I have is gratitude and pride. I am just so grateful," Lundqvist said.
Lundqvist retires as the sixth-winningest goalie in NHL history, recording a 459-310-96 record with the Rangers alongside a .918 save percentage, 2.43 goals-against average, and 64 shutouts.