Henrik Lundqvist Reflects — and Looks to Future — as Jersey Retired by Rangers: 'Extremely Grateful'

In an interview with PEOPLE, Henrik Lundqvist gets candid about how his NHL career came to an end, and what it means to be just one of a handful of New York Rangers to have their jersey numbers retired

Henrik Lundqvist New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist. Photo: New York Rangers

It's hard to imagine that Henrik Lundqvist has no regrets about the premature end of his storied hockey career. But really, he insists, there are no regrets.

"I've always been at peace with it," he tells PEOPLE the week of his jersey retirement by the New York Rangers. "I've been in a very good place. I've been happy, extremely grateful for the things I experienced and the time I had as a Ranger. And it was just not meant to be, that's how I feel."

While no regrets, there were tears. On Friday, before he took the ice at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the big ceremony, he fought his emotions as he told reporters, "A lot of people were asking me, leading up to this night, if I was going to cry. And I said, 'If I cry, then I cry.' "

Lundqvist, 39, is now just the 11th Ranger to have his jersey — no. 30 — retired, taking its place in the Garden rafters among Mark Messier's no. 11 and Brian Leetch's no. 2. The honor comes over a year after his last Rangers — and last NHL — game in August 2020. In October of that year, he announced he'd signed a one-season contract with the Washington Capitals after 15 years with New York. But he never played, learning before the year's end that a heart condition would require open-heart surgery (specifically an aortic valve replacement, aortic root, and ascending aortic replacement).

Henrik Lundqvist New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist. New York Rangers

"We were doing tests and I knew I had a condition and at some point I was going to have to fix my [aortic] valve. But during the fall, we saw my aorta was way too big," he recounts to PEOPLE. "It was growing and the pressure on the heart had tripled over a couple years and the leak was getting worse."

Still, Lundqvist remained optimistic about returning to the ice — he says he packed his bags to head to D.C. But "everything happened pretty quickly," and he underwent the surgery in January 2021. The operation went well, as did his recovery (though Lundqvist acknowledges his wife Therese likely found the entire process more excruciating: "Sometimes it's more stressful to be on the outside").

Feeling good, Lundqvist attempted a return, explaining, "I tried to come back a couple of times, but the inflammation around the heart kind of put an end to my career." That inflammation prevented him from attempting any high-intensity workouts, leaving him mostly idle for several months last year. By August 2021, it was official: he was retiring.

Now, he's "trying to be patient" with his body. Says the former athlete, "They told me early on, this could take a year before it's really a hundred percent. So I'm listening to that and trying to be patient, even though I love to move around."

He's found other outlets for his energy now: more time with Therese and their two daughters, Charlise, 9, and Juli, 6. He's invested in an innovative healthcare project that will bring together scientists, health professionals, and athletes in Gothenburg, Sweden, called GoCo. He's also joined MSG Networks as an analyst for Rangers coverage with Steve Valiquette and John Giannone.

"I want to do a lot of different things and explore and get inspired," Lundqvist tells PEOPLE. "And to me, it's important to surround myself with people that inspire me and make me happy, and working on MSG Networks has been great."

It's, of course, not quite the same as being on the ice, he admits, "I don't think anything will be as intense ever as playing goal."

Lundqvist, who made his NHL debut in 2005, played all 887 games of his career with the Rangers, finishing with 459 wins, and a .918 save percentage. Madison Square Garden, he says, is home. "I think throughout my entire career, that place made me feel so many things, but most of all, it, I felt alive being at MSG, you know, feeling the pressure and so much adrenaline and also a proud feeling to be in there and represent the Rangers," Lundqvist says.

Rangers fans loved him right back. In fact, Lundqvist says the team's dedicated followers embraced him early on, helping his transition when he first arrived from Sweden. "They really appreciated me," he says fondly.

Henrik Lundqvist New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist. New York Rangers

The appreciation was clear Friday night. Lundqvist, who had around 100 family and friends there to support him at the Garden, including around 60 people who flew in from his home country, was met with cheers and chants during the retirement presentation.

"When I look back at my 15 years here, what gives me the most satisfaction is not the wins or the personal recognition," Lundqvist said during his speech. "But it's really the commitment, the commitment I felt to the New York Rangers."

And even on a day that was supposed to be about him, the former athlete was focused on others. Before the ceremony, he spent time with 17-year-old Shivaan, a Rangers fan who has nervous system disorder Neurofibromatosis. Patel got to attend the game and meet his hero through MSG's Garden of Dreams foundation. Says Lundqvist of his continued work with Garden of Dreams and his own foundation, "It's about inspiring [kids like Patel] and giving them a great experience and lift them up, mentally, and give them that positive energy."

Henrik Lundqvist New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist meeting Shivaan. New York Rangers

It's just one small gesture that makes it clear that Lundqvist has nothing but gratitude for his life's experiences, and, as he says, excitement for "what's coming next."

As for his time with the Rangers being permanently enshrined, well, he tells PEOPLE, "I was not meant to play anywhere else."

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