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Rangers great Henrik Lundqvist announces retirement: Five-time All-Star goalie played 15 NHL seasons

Henrik Lundqvist, the New York Rangers' winningest goalie, announced his retirement Friday after 15 seasons in the NHL.

In a post on social media, the future Hall of Famer said he has "devoted my iife to the game of hockey ... and now it's time to walk away from the game I love and begin a new chapter." He recalled his first practice as an 8-year-old to the butterflies he had "every time I took the ice in the greatest city in the world."

Lundqvist was taken by the Rangers in the seventh round of the 2000 draft, becoming a fixture in net for New York beginning in the 2005-06 season. In his career, the 39-year-old, started 752 regular-season games, posting a 459-310-96 record. He is the sixth-winningest goalie in NHL history and the only netminder to record 30 wins in each of his first seven seasons. He ends his career with a 2.43 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in the regular season. Lundqvist, a five-time All-Star, ranks seventh all time in saves (23,509), eighth in games played (887) and 17th in shutouts.

Henrik Lundqvist played 15 seasons in the NHL, all with the New York Rangers.
Henrik Lundqvist played 15 seasons in the NHL, all with the New York Rangers.

Dubbed "The King" by fans, Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy given to the league's top goalie in 2012 after notching a 24-16-3 record, 1.97 GAA and .930 SV%. He finished top three in the voting four other times.

While he never won a Stanley Cup, Lundqvist helped the Rangers advance to the playoffs 12 times, recording a 2.30 GAA and .921 SV% in 130 games. The Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Final once in his career, losing in the 2014 series to the Los Angeles Kings.

A stalwart for Sweden in international play, Lundqvist helped his country win gold at the 2006 Olympics and earn the silver medal in 2004. Sweden won the world championships in 2017 with Lundqvist in net.

Lundqvist signed with the Capitals entering the 2020 season after having his contract bought out by the Rangers but never played a game in Washington because he needed open-heart surgery. He tried to come back, but ultimately "I came to the conclusion that there are too many unknowns and too much risk for not enough reward for me to keep playing," he told the New York Post.

"This league was everything I dreamed of and more ... (hockey) gave my life purpose and I have loved every single minute of it!" Lundqvist said to end his message.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Henrik Lundqvist retires: Rangers goalie played 15 NHL seasons