Washington Capitals goalie Henrik Lundqvist to have open-heart surgery

Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Washington Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will undergo open-heart surgery to address an issue that will force him to miss the entire 2020-21 NHL season.

Lundqvist announced Monday on social media that he will have an "aortic valve replacement, aortic root and ascending aortic replacement."

"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," the 38-year-old Lundqvist wrote on Twitter. "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."

Lundqvist signed a one-year deal with the Capitals earlier this off-season after spending the past 15 seasons with the New York Rangers. He announced earlier this month that he would miss the entire upcoming season because of his heart issue.

Lundqvist is a five-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy, which is given annually to the league's best goalie. He won the award in the 2011-12 campaign.

The Swedish goalie has appeared in 887 career regular-season games and 130 postseason contests. He holds the record for most wins by a European-born goaltender in NHL history.

Lundqvist has posted a 459-310 record and .918 save percentage in his NHL career.