Washington Capitals Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to Undergo Open Heart Surgery

Washington Capitals Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to Undergo Open Heart Surgery

Washington Capitals Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist , to Undergo Open Heart Surgery.

Lundqvist revealed the news on Dec.

28 via social media.

He said his focus had shifted in the “last 3 weeks” from training to his “health.”.

Last 3 weeks my focus has shifted from training camp and the upcoming season to my health and what I can and can’t do.

, Henrik Lundqvist, via Instagram.

Lundqvist said his surgery would include replacing his aortic valve, aortic root and ascending aorta.

He did not say when the procedures would take place, but he is “set on the road to recovery.” .

We all have our mountains to climb.

Staying positive here and set on the road to recovery, Henrik Lundqvist, via Instagram.

The 38-year-old initially announced on Dec.

17 that he would not be able to play during the 2020-21 NHL season.

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After signing with the Capitals, Lundqvist underwent a physical which revealed a heart condition that made it “not acceptable” for him to keep playing.

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The team’s general manager, Brian MacLellan, said that although he'll be missed, everyone is “grateful” that his condition was discovered and can now be addressed.

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I think we're grateful, everybody's grateful that he went down that road, that our medical staffs, that our trainer pushed him down that road and explored it more, Brian MacLellan, via Sportsnet