Henrik Lundqvist, the legendary Rangers goalkeeper who joined the capitals during the offseason, has announced that he will be participating in the 2020-2021 NHL season due to heart disease.
Lundqvist, 38, said the disease was discovered after weeks of testing.
“It breaks my heart (literally) to share this news: I will not be joining the capitals next season,” Lundqvist wrote in a message posted on Twitter. “After many weeks of testing and conversations with specialists across the country, it has been determined that heart disease will prevent me from taking the ice. Together, we have decided that the risk of playing before remedying my condition is too high. So I will spend the next few months discovering the best course of action.
“Over the last 2 months, I have been so inspired by the opportunity to play DC and I have committed to my game, spending every day on the court to prepare for next season. The news was very difficult to process, but then from the last test result earlier this week, we knew there was only one way to go from here.
“I want to thank the entire Capitals organization for not only giving me this opportunity, but also for their support during all this difficult time. I will take the next few weeks to be with my family and share the next steps again.” .
Lundqvist played 15 seasons with the Rangers before the club bought the final year of his contract during the offseason. He then signed a one-year contract with the capitals.