New York (AFP)
Swedish goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, one of the big stars of the North American Ice Hockey League (NHL) announced Friday to end his career, nine months after putting it on hold for open heart surgery .
"Now is the time" to hang up, Lundqvist posted on his Twitter account.
“For the past 30 years, I've dedicated my life to hockey ... and now it's time to step away from the sport I love and start a new chapter,” he explained.
The 39-year-old goalie underwent aortic valve replacement surgery last January and had started light workouts last month.
But, insufficiently recovered, he felt it was time to hang up his skates.
He played for 15 seasons (2005-2020) with the New York Rangers before joining the Washington Capitals last October.
However, he never wore the Capitals colors, following his heart problem.
"It is with mixed feelings that the New York Rangers wish the best and express their sincere gratitude to Henrik Lundqvist on the occasion of the announcement of his retirement", greeted the New York franchise in a statement.
"Henrik's commitment to excellence made him one of the best goalies to ever play hockey, and we are fortunate to have witnessed firsthand his greatness for 15 years," continues the text.
Rangers have assured that his number 30 jersey will be retired in a game next season, making him the 11th player to be honored by the franchise.
Lundqvist was one of the great architects of the Olympic coronation of Sweden, victorious over Finland's lifelong rival, at the Turin Winter Games in 2006. He also played in the silver medal team at the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014.
"King Henrik", presents impressive statistics in his career including a save percentage of 0.9 and 64 games without conceding a goal in 15 seasons with the Rangers.
But he never managed to win the Stanley Cup.
© 2021 AFP