Henrik Lundqvist Will Not Join Capitals This Season

Henrik Lundqvist announced today via his social media that he will not be joining the Washington Capitals this season. In a tweet, he said that a heart condition will prevent him from playing.

Here is the full text of his message:

It breaks my heart (literally) to share this news: I will not be joining the Capitals this upcoming season. 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.

For the past 2 months I’ve been so inspired by the opportunity to play in DC and committed to my game, spending every day at the rink to prepare for the upcoming season. The news was very difficult to process but after the last test result earlier this week we knew there was only one way to go from here.

I want to thank the entire Capitals organization for not only giving me this opportunity but also for their support throughout this challenging time. I will take the next few weeks to be with my family and I’ll be back to share the next steps.

He also shared a message to Caps fans via a video on the Capitals’ social media:

The Capitals published this statement in response to the news:

We’re all with you, Hank! We hope to see you take the ice again soon, and regardless of what sweater you’re wearing when you do, we are all so glad you chose to sign in Washington.

We will continue to update this post as more information is available.