The Washington Capitals new goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, has announced that he will not be able to play during the upcoming season due to a heart condition.
In a statement released by the goaltender, “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.”
Some tough news I need to share with you all.. pic.twitter.com/y7ZtAoo39Q
— Henrik Lundqvist (@hlundqvist35) December 17, 2020
After Lundqvist made his announcement, the Capitals released a statement in support of the veteran goalie, stating, “Our players’ health is of the utmost importance, and we stand behind Henrik’s decision. We want to wish him and his family all the best moving forward.”
Lundqvist recently joined the Caps as a free agent this October, signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the team after spending 15 seasons with the New York Rangers. With longtime goalie Braden Holtby leaving the team this offseason, the Capitals will now rely on Ilya Samsonov, Vitek Vanecek or Pheonix Copley between the pipes. At the moment, the NHL is looking to start the season in mid-January.
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