He has won two Stanley Cups and World Cup gold.
Now Patric Hörnqvist, 36, ends his career.
– When I look back, it’s fantastic, he says.
For many years, Patric “Bengan” Hörnqvist has been one of our great NHL stars and most glorious profiles. Hörnqvist is best remembered in North America for his two Stanley Cup wins with Pittsburgh, but he has also delivered heavily in the Tre Kronor shirt.
Ending career
But the past season he would rather just forget. Suffering double concussions, he missed the entire second half of the season with his Florida Panthers, who made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. He has previously announced that he would wait for tests during the summer before making a decision about the future.
But now he announces that the concussions left such a mark that he chooses to end his career, simply to save himself from trouble in the future.
– Health is most important. I feel good now and hopefully have many good years ahead of me and with my injury history I don’t want to risk future problems, he tells Aftonbladet.
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The words about the future
Patric Hörnqvist made his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators in 2008, since then there have been a whopping 900 games and 543 points.
– When I look back, it’s fantastic to think that I have, for example, two Stanley Cup rings on my account, and a World Cup gold, and that I was actually involved and contributed to those victories. I could never have dreamed of that, he says.
What will happen to Hörnqvist in the future is unclear, but according to Aftonbladet, the Panthers should be interested in giving the winner Hörnqvist a role within the organization.
– Those are of course warm words and I really want to continue working with hockey. Partly to give back to the sport and partly to continue being in this circus. There is nothing better, he says, and continues:
– We will see what kind of role it will be, but to begin with I will be stationed in Stockholm, we have moved back home to Sweden now. Then we wait and see how it feels in a few years.
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