NHL Legend Henrik Lundqvist Retires After Lengthy Battle With Heart Issues

The King's reign between the NHL pipes has officially come to an end ... Henrik Lundqvist announced Friday he's retiring from hockey due to his battle with heart issues.

The legendary goalkeeper said, according to the New York Post, that he could have tried to keep pushing to get to 100 percent and play another season eventually ... but ultimately decided hanging up the skates would be the better option.

"It came down to how badly I wanted to push it, how much of a gamble did I want to take?" Lundqvist said.

"And I came to the conclusion that there are too many unknowns and too much risk for not enough reward for me to keep playing."

Lundvqist was a STAR for the New York Rangers from 2005 to 2020 ... but he began suffering from heart problems shortly after NY bought him out after the 2019-20 season.

Lundvqist -- who had signed with the Washington Capitals before last season -- eventually missed the 2020-21 season due to the issues and finally had to have open-heart surgery in January.

Henrik has been steadily improving since the operation -- he even made a return to the ice just weeks after the procedure -- but he said Friday a complete comeback just isn't in the cards.

"It's all still fresh," Henrik said. "I decided only a few days ago. But I am at peace. I look back at my career, and all I have is gratitude and pride. I am just so grateful."