After announcing he would miss the 2021 season with a heart condition just 11 days ago, Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist tweeted Monday he is scheduled for open heart surgery.
His Tweet read: “Last three weeks my focus has shifted from training camp and the upcoming season to my health and what I can and can’t do. Scheduled for an open heart surgery now - aortic valve replacement, aortic root and ascending aortic replacement, to be more exact. We all have our mountains to climb. Staying positive here and set on the road to recovery.”
— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) December 28, 2020
Lundqvist, 38, joined Capitals in October after a 15-year run with the Rangers. Following a buyout, he signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal.
After signing with Washington, a physical led to Lundqvist getting tested further before the serious of a heart issue the goaltender has had worried doctors.
“Our trainer, Jason Serbus, did an unbelievable job,” said Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said last week. “Our doctors, the cardiologists, the specialists, it kept getting deeper and deeper. As we went that far, Henrik got a lot more knowledge of what his situation is and where it’s going and what his risk levels are.”
The Capitals also sent their best wishes to their goalie Tweeting: “The Capitals and the entire hockey world are with you Hank, and wish you a speedy recovery.”
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Marisa Ingemi is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop her a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Ingemi.