Longtime Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist retires

It would have been strange watching Henrik Lundqvist play in an NHL uniform other than the one he wore for 15 seasons. Now it is official: He will not.

The future Hall of Fame goaltender on Friday announced his retirement from hockey, technically as a former Ranger but now and forever as a Blueshirt.

"It’s time," Lundqvist wrote in a social media post revealing his decision, which was prompted by a heart problem that derailed his first season with the Capitals before it began last winter.

The Rangers said Friday that Lundqvist's No. 30 will be retired and his jersey will ascend to the rafters at Madison Square Garden at a game this season.

"It is with mixed emotions that The New York Rangers offer our best wishes and heartfelt gratitude to Henrik Lundqvist on the announcement of his retirement. Henrik’s commitment to excellence made him one of the best goaltenders to ever play the game of hockey, and we are so fortunate to have witnessed his greatness firsthand for 15 years," the Rangers said in a statement. "Henrik is, and always will be, a Ranger."

The Rangers bought out Lundqvist in 2020, and he signed with Washington in hopes of extending his career. But a preseason exam revealed an issue that required open-heart surgery in January.

Video of Lundqvist on the ice in February led to speculation he could return before the end of the season, but he was not ready to do so. He was shut down in April because of inflammation. He hoped to make it back for 2021-22, but it was not to be.

"For the last 30 years, I have devoted my life to the game of hockey," he wrote. "And now it’s time to walk away from the game I love and begin a new chapter.

"The future excites me. I’ve met so many amazing people over the years that will help to guide and inspire me in my new journey. There are many things I love about this game: From the excitement I felt as an 8-year-old at my first practice to the 15 years of butterflies I had every time I took the ice in the greatest city in the world.

"I’m extremely grateful for what hockey has brought me and taught me in life. These lessons will never leave me."

Lundqvist, 39, thanked the coaches and players who have helped him, the hockey community in his native Sweden, the NHL, the Rangers and his adopted home city.

"I’m a born Swede, but I’ll always feel like a New Yorker thanks to you," he wrote.

He closed with, "Lastly, thank you to the game of hockey and its fans! You gave my life purpose and I have loved every single minute of it!"

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: Henrik Lundqvist through the years

Lundqvist never won a Stanley Cup as a Ranger, but he helped them become consistent contenders and to reach the Cup Final in 2014 before losing in five games to the Kings.

His regular-season record was 459-310-96, with a 2.43 goals-against average and 64 shutouts. In the postseason, he was 61-67 with a 2.30 goals-against average and 10 shutouts. Lundqvist is the club’s all-time leader in goaltending wins, starts (871), games played (887) and shutouts (64). He also leads the Rangers' franchise in playoff appearances (130), and playoff wins. He retires in sixth place on the NHL’s all-time list for goaltending wins.

Lundqvist had known since 2005 he had a leaky heart valve that at some point likely would require surgery.

He told the New York Post from Sweden on Friday that he skated and worked out this summer with the intention of a return to the ice, but that he suffered from setbacks, including chest pain from exertion.

"I was told that inflammation takes a long time to correct and with medication I might be out of the woods, but it could be another full year before I would be 100%," he told the Post.

He added, "Of course, it is disappointing not to win the Cup, but we had our chances and we had our window. I am grateful for my teammates and to have played for those teams.

"There was nothing like the feeling of those big wins at the Garden, those Game 7s with everything on the line, the noise, and the way the building would explode after a victory."

Lundqvist, a native of Are, Sweden who became known as "The King" while playing in New York, won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender in 2011-12 and played in five NHL All-Star Games. And he led Sweden to the gold medal in the 2006 Olympics.

"Thank you to all the coaches and players that helped me throughout my career," Lundqvist wrote on social media. "Thank you to Swedish hockey! From growing up and playing in Sweden to ultimately representing my country on the world stage. These are some of my proudest moments."

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.