The Washington Capitals will be without Henrik Lundqvist next season. The goaltender announced on Thursday that he has to sit out the 2021 campaign due to a previously undiscovered heart condition. He revealed the news on Twitter, saying "it breaks my heart (literally)" to share the news.
Here's what Lundqvist wrote on social media:
"After many weeks of tests and conversations with specialists around the country, it's been determined that a heart condition 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 coming months figuring out the best course of action."
The goalie also released a video message:
A message from Henrik: pic.twitter.com/JJDe2lKAXz
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 17, 2020
"It's still very hard for me to process all of this and kind of shocking to be honest," Lundqvist said in the video message. "With the experts involved I know this is the only way of action ... I want to wish you, all the fans, all the best. I also want to wish the team the best of luck in this upcoming season. Take care guys."
Lundqvist says he has been working every day at the rink to prepare for the upcoming season, which was set to be his first one in Washington D.C., but felt it was not safe to play as his health currently stands. He thanked the Capitals for their support during such a challenging time.
Lundqvist, 38, noted that he does not yet know what the future holds, but promised to keep the public updated as he learns the next steps he will take. The goalie was drafted by the New York Rangers and spent the first 15 seasons of his career there. He signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Capitals in October.
