One of the biggest stories to come out of hockey in a while happened this week when long-time NHL goaltender Henrik Lundqvist announced he would not be playing in the 2020-21 season due to a newly discovered heart condition. The 38-year-old spent his entire career with the New York Rangers before being bought out and signing with the Washington Capitals following the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In his first public statement since announcing he will not be playing in the upcoming season, Lundqvist said he intends to battle the condition head-on.
"It's been a very emotional week for me and my family. I just want to express my gratitude for all the support from around the league and from people everywhere," said Lundqvist.
"Life is full of challenges and I'm ready to tackle this one. Mindset is everything!"
Lundqvist has not made any announcement on whether or not he'll retire or attempt to come back in 2021-22. At 38, time is certainly not on his side. There are still players in the league who are in their 40s but it is much less common for a goaltender to do so. If this is indeed the end of his career, he can be confident in the fact that he had a great run.
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