When Henrik Lundqvist retired from NHL owing to a life-threatening heart condition

Former NHL goalie Henrik Lundqvist announced his retirement after a 15-year career that was cut short due to a serious heart condition in 2021. Lundqvist made the announcement through a statement on Twitter, where he expressed his gratitude to the game and the amazing people he had met over the years.

The 41-year-old was diagnosed with a leaky valve in his heart that required an aortic valve replacement in 2020. He had known about the condition for 15 years, but it had worsened over time to the point where surgery was necessary. Unfortunately, the surgery caused him to miss the entire 2020-21 season.

Despite never winning a Stanley Cup, Henrik Lundqvist was widely regarded as one of the best goalies in the league, having been named an All-Star five times and winning the Vezina Trophy for best NHL goaltender in 2012. In addition, he led the Swedish hockey team to Olympic gold in 2006.

Lundqvist played for the New York Rangers for over a decade before signing a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals. His decision to retire marked the end of an impressive career that was tragically cut short due to health concerns.

A look at former goalie Henrik Lundqvist NHL career

The Rangers selected Lundqvist in the seventh round of the 2000 NHL Draft while he was playing for Frolunda in the Swedish Junior League. After five years of dominating the Swedish league, Lundqvist made his debut for the Rangers in 2005-06 and quickly became a star in the NHL.

In his rookie season, Lundqvist set a Rangers record for wins by a rookie with 30 and finished fourth in the League with a .922 save percentage and fifth in goals against (2.24). That was just the beginning of a long run of success for Lundqvist in New York.

Henrik Lundqvist was a Vezina Trophy finalist in each of his first three seasons in the NHL and finished in the top six in voting in each of his first 10 seasons. Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy in 2011-12 and finished third in voting for the Hart Trophy as League MVP after going 39-18-5 with a 1.97 GAA and .930 save percentage, earning NHL First-Team All-Star honors for the first time.

Lundqvist's owns almost every record for goalies in Rangers history, including victories, shutouts, playoff wins, and games played. He set an NHL record by winning six consecutive Game 7s, a streak that was broken by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final. He also set an Olympic record for the longest shutout streak (172:34) between the 2006 and 2010 Games.

After spending his entire NHL career with the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist became a free agent for the first time in his career in 2020. Lundqvist announced his retirement from hockey on Aug. 20, 2021, after 15 seasons. The Rangers announced on the same day that they would retire his number, making him the 11th player in their history to have his number hang in the Madison Square Garden rafters.