PHOTO: SVT/Carina Bergfeldt’s talk show
Henrik Lundqvist was forced to undergo heart surgery.
Now Joel Lundqvist opens up about how it was for him.
– It was really tough, says Joel in SVT’s talk show “Carina Bergfeldt”.
The brothers Joel Lundqvist and Henrik Lundqvist both arrived in Frölunda, before they both went to respective clubs in the NHL. However, they had to continue to play together a part in Tre Kronor
Henke & Joel
Henrik Lundqvist remained in the NHL for many seasons, becoming an icon in the New York Rangers. At the same time that after three less successful seasons in the league, Joel returned home from the Dallas Stars to Frölunda again, where he also became a club icon after long and faithful service.
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With one year left on the contract in the Rangers, “Henke” was bought out, and signed to play one year in the Washington Capitals. But that never happened. It was discovered that Henrik had a heart defect that stopped him from playing, and he ended his hockey career in the summer of 2021.
Heartbreaking words
The heart problems led to Henke being forced to undergo extensive heart surgery.
– It was a struggle the first four or five days with some setbacks. There was a problem with the heart rhythm. I don’t know exactly what they did, but they had to restart the heart to get the rhythm back. I remember that was the toughest period. Not going in before the surgery, because I was so focused on that. But it was more days three or four when you were completely exhausted and couldn’t get this sorted, says Henrik Lundqvist when he visits Carina Bergsfeldts talk show on SVT.
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Before Henrik’s heart could be restarted, he needed to sign a document from the hospital.
– Getting to sign another piece of paper, “you have to go in for this and there are consequences for that”, and just to get strength there. Then I was at my weakest, I remember.
– Of course there are risks that you could die. And when you read that and you don’t have the energy that I had when I went into surgery, then it was a little tougher. But I just kind of took it as a match. They didn’t even take it day by day, it was hour by hour, says the 41-year-old in the program.
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Busy for Joel
It wasn’t just tough for Henrik himself. At home in Gothenburg, a worried twin brother was waiting for word, while he needed to focus on his hockey playing.
– It was terrible, I remember. The first week there was a lot of communication with Theresa (Lundqvist, Henrik’s wife) who sort of had to hold the positions. And in the middle of everything, you had to perform yourself and play matches at home, and that was…, says Joel Lundqvist in Carina Bergfeldt’s show and continues:
– I was very drained of energy, I remember during this time. A few days before, but above all afterwards. It just took longer to recover, and it was tough, really.
READ MORE: Dick Axelsson’s great jealousy of Joel Lundqvist – now the SHL profile appeals to everyone: “If I’m shitty…”
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