NHL Hall of Fame goalie and New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist and board-certified cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Salik have joined Kiniska Pharmaceuticals for an awareness campaign called "Life DisRPted."
Lundqvist and Dr. Salik joined SportsJam with Doug Doyle to talk about recurrent pericarditis (RP), the medical condition that prompted "King Henrik" to retire from the NHL.
Throughout his pro career, Henrik Lundqvist was aware of a leaky aortic valve in his heart. Doctors monitored the condition but he was able to manage the impact. But in the fall of 2020 after signing a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals, Lundqvist's condition got more serious.
"Things just escalated real quick. The pressure in my heart tripled. The leak got worse and the aorta started to grow too much. That led to a decision to go in for open heart surgery. The recovery was challenging at times but I felt pretty good pretty fast. I was back on the ice after about eight weeks. Slow at first, no high shots but every week I just felt stronger and faster. I started eyeing the comeback."
As he went through medical testing with his new team, doctors discovered that the condition had worsened significantly. High-intensity exercise and blows to the chest could put him at risk of sudden death.
"About three months from surgery, one day I just felt massive pain in my chest and back. I felt sick and my first thought it was related to the surgery. Maybe ten days later I went in for a checkup and that's when they realized I had pericarditis. In a way it was more challenging to deal than the open heart surgery just because there was no real game plan in terms of when I could start training. It was more like you need to slow down everything."
Dr. Jonathan Salik says early diagnosis is important for those suffering from recurrent pericarditis or RP.
"So pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium which is the fiber sack around the heart. The inflammation can cause very debilitating chest pain that is worse when you lay down and better when you lean forward. It's worse when you take a breath in and often worse when you exert yourself. It can radiate to your back and cause shortness of breath. We usually don't know what causes it sometimes it happens in the setting of a surgery or procedure on your heart for another reason. Most patients do well, but up to a third of patients can initially do well and have recurrent symptoms and that's what recurrent pericarditis is. I do think it's really important because there are a number of treatment options with RP and we can make patients feel better quicker. It's so important to speak to your doctor. "
Being diagnosed with RP wasn't easy for "King Henrik" and his family.
"It was an overwhelming six months for sure, obviously with the surgery first, realizing this was for real. This is not a shoulder or knee issue. My family was great. My wife was great and family support meant a lot. I think personally the big challenge was when I was diagnosed with RP. At first that was mentally challenging. I had to dig deep and find the strength and positivity."
Being part of the Life DisRPted campaign is important to Lundqvist. He's always given back to the game and his community. He's been very active
in MSG's Garden of Dreams Foundation and his Henrik Lundqvist Foundation that empowers children and families around the world through programs in health and education.
"When I was about 19 and playing Sweden that's the first time I went to a children's hospital but at that point you're so song and you're focused on your career, but that was the first experience. It kind of stuck with me that I was making an impact on some of the families. Then moving to New York at the age of 23, the MSG's Garden of Dreams foundation really showed me and all of of the Rangers players the impact we can have on the community."
Lundqvist's number 30 jersey was raised to the rafter at MSG in 2022, a night he'll never forget.
"It was almost like closure for me. My last game was in the "bubble" with no fans and just to have that opportunity to thank so many people and feel like I'm part of the Rangers forever."
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023, Lundqvist enjoyed an elite 15-year NHL career with the New York Rangers. He was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy five times and won in 2012, as well as taking the Rangers to the Stanley Cup final in 2014. Internationally, Lundqvist backstopped his native Sweden to gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics and 2017 IIHF World Championship.
Henrik Lundqvist’s dramatic detour from hockey is captured in the 2023 documentary Open Heart. Directed by Emmy winner Jonathan Hock, the film unflinchingly chronicles Lundqvist’s journey from elite athlete to cardiac patient.
Dr. Salik has developed a particular interest in patients with pericardial disease and started the MGH Cardiology Division’s Pericardial Disease Program in 2022, which he currently directs. He is also a member of the MGH Echocardiography and Electrocardiography Laboratories, where he reads transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) and electrocardiograms (EKGs).
Salik's practiced in based in Manhattan. He grew up a New York Rangers fan. He plans on getting a Lundqvist jersey for him and his sons in the near future.
Additionally, people can go to LifeDisRPted.com for supporting resources.
You can SEE the SportsJam with Doug Doyle interview with Dr. Salik and Henrik Lundqvist below.
