Ovechkin, Backstrom congratulate Lundqvist on jersey retirement originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Washington Capitals were in Texas to face the Dallas Stars on Friday and got to witness the jersey retirement for defenseman Sergei Zubov. Meanwhile, in the Big Apple, the New York Rangers were retiring the No. 30 for Henrik Lundqvist.
Although Lundqvist signed with the Capitals for the 2020-21 season, the veteran netminder didn't play a game due to an irregular heartbeat brought upon by pericarditis.
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However, that didn't stop Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom from sending a video message congratulating Lundqvist on a fantastic career and wishing him luck in retirement.
Backstrom started his video by lamenting that the two didn't get a chance to play together in Washington.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't be teammates here in Washington," Backstrom said. "I admire you as a person, a hockey player, as a father; you're a great guy. I wish you all the best in retirement."
However, when Lundqvist discussed signing in Washington he said “the heart said no,” in a cheeky manner.
Meanwhile, Ovechkin focused on the clashes the two had against each other playing in the Eastern Conference.
"Congrats on your retirement; you had a tremendous career. It was a pleasure playing against you; we had very interesting matches together. I wish you all the best," Ovechkin said.
