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NY: Celebrity Sightings At 2018 US Open -Day 12
NEW YORK (77WABC) — Henrik Lundqvist, who played 15 seasons as the goaltender for the New York Rangers, announced his retirement from the NHL Friday morning.
— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) August 20, 2021
“For the last 30 years, I have devoted my life to the game of hockey…and now it is time to walk away from the game I love and begin a new chapter,” Lundqvist said in a statement. “The future excites me. I’ve met so many amazing people over the years that will help to guide and inspire me in my new journey.”
Lundqvist’s contract was bought out in September 2020 and then signed a one-year free agent deal with the Washington Capitals. However Lundqvist required open-heart surgery after an exam found an enlarged aorta and leaky valve, so he never played a game with the Capitals.
The Rangers drafted Lundqvist in the seventh round in 2000, and he made the jump from playing in Sweden to the NHL in the 2005-06 season. The 39-year-old Lundqvist was a five-time All-Star and won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie in 2011-12 season.
“Thank you to the game of hockey and its fans!,” Lundqvist said. “You gave my life purpose and I have loved every single minute of it!”
