Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner will not accept an invite to play for Sweden at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games for health reasons.
According to The Athletic's Jesse Granger late Sunday night, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner will not accept an invite to play for Sweden at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games for health reasons.
Lehner has been open about his struggles with mental health, serving as an activist for mental health awareness over the past few years.
Lehner, 30, hasn't represented Sweden at the men's level, with his last appearance with his country coming at the 2011 World Junior Championship. Lehner was expected to compete for starts with Jacob Markstrom and Linus Ullmark, with Markstrom looking like the projected starter.
Lehner has posted a 9-9-0 record as just the team's second full-season starting goalie after Marc-Andre Fleury tended the net since the team's launch in 2017.
The NHL is scheduled to go to the Olympics in 2022, but COVID-19 issues, as well as other political concerns, have raised questions as to whether NHLers will be sent to Beijing next February. Teams had to send "long list" rosters of 50 skaters and five goalies back in October, with the full Olympic rosters to come in early January.