In late 2020, Henrik Lundqvist had some gas left in the tank and was all set to put on an unfamiliar hockey sweater to extend his career just a bit longer.
After spending 15 seasons with the New York Rangers, "King Hank" signed a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals ahead of the 2020-2021 season.
But with a month left until the season began, Lundqvist had open-heart surgery in January 2021 due to a leaky aortic valve.
Lundqvist returned to practice a month later, but the surgery did not cure his heart issues. While getting ready for his on-ice return with the Caps, Lundqvist had "flare-ups" in his heart. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with recurrent pericarditis, which left him in "a lot of pain" that was "affecting my everyday life."
Knowing the risks, he decided to call it a career.
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"It definitely didn’t end the way I planned it to. … It’s a big day when you make that decision," Lundqvist told Fox News Digital in a recent interview about his decision to hang up the pads.
Sure, Lundqvist was certainly on the last leg of his career, but he didn’t exactly end it on his own terms. As he puts it, "That first year of retirement was hard."
But nearly four years since his surgery, Lundqvist, in some ways, sees the diagnosis as a blessing in disguise.
Looking back, Lundqvist knows he was only meant to wear Ranger blue.
"It was not meant to be for me to continue playing. My last game was as a Ranger, that was the meaning of it all," said Lundqvist, who does analyst work on MSG Network and TNT.
While it was hard to end his career somewhat involuntarily, the 42-year-old told Fox News Digital he is "at peace" with his decision.
"Instead of wishing for more, I turned around and was extremely grateful for everything I experienced on the ice and how much the game of hockey, what it gave me: memories, friendships and just such a big passion. It really guided me through life. I felt this massive amount of gratitude toward my career and the things I got to do; it was just a reset in life," he said.
Hindsight is also 20/20, considering he is still dealing with scary moments, which would be a nightmare to have while on the ice.
The Hockey Hall of Famer said he has "restrictions" when it comes to physical activity and that he’s had "four or five flare-ups" since his open-heart surgery, including as recently as this summer. His pericarditis isn’t going away anytime soon.
"In that moment, I was not sure if it was the right decision. But looking back, with the amount of flare-ups I’ve had and how it’s been affecting my life, I know it was the right decision, so that feels good," Lundqvist said.
More than four years since his last NHL game, Lundqvist is taking advantage of the opportunity to tell his story. The Rangers legend, whose No. 30 hangs in the Madison Square Garden rafters, has partnered with Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals to be a part of its latest "Life DisRPted" campaign to raise awareness for pericarditis.
"Pericarditis has really affected my life. I had to retire. But also, since I retired, it has an effect on my life in terms of how active I can be and the setbacks I’ve had, the flare-ups. So, through this campaign, I saw a great opportunity to spread awareness," Lundqvist said.
"I’ve had a lot of great conversations with their team, how to reach people. A lot of people live with it, but maybe they don’t have a good plan. That’s our goal with this campaign, to really educate people and make sure they get the type of support they need to bring to their doctors. There are a lot of people who maybe don’t know they have RP. For me, when I was diagnosed, I wasn’t sure what was going on. I was just in a lot of pain, it was affecting me in everyday life. So, that’s step one, to get the diagnosis, but from there, you want to have a good game plan."
"It just resonates with me," he added. "Athlete or not, your life can be turned upside down no matter who you are. But how do you find happiness and strength in that moment? We all go through things. I think the key is how we respond, how we deal with it. I don’t know if I feel a responsibility, but it’s an opportunity to help people."
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