One of the most glittering hockey dynasties came to an end this week. After 15 seasons, Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers have parted ways. The King had the last year of his contract bought out and now he faces free agency for the first time. I’m sure this was not the end they envisioned, but it was a respectful and amicable one. Tributes from the Rangers brass and fans have flooded in and they know for sure just how much gratitude they owe him.
Lundqvist will always remain a legend in the Big Apple. Voted Rangers MVP no fewer than nine times and also the holder of the most ever shutouts at Madison Square Garden. His number 30 jersey will no doubt be raised to the MSG rafters. However, in the last few years his performances had declined so there was no outrage at this decision. Rangers fan seemed to have accepted the inevitable and this decision, while not great, allows both sides to move forward. An Olympic gold medallist, a five-time NHL All-Star and the 2012 Vezina winner. Hank’s Hall of Fame status is assured.
Yet people forget that ‘King Henrik’ was a prospect that was largely ignored in his early days. Born in Åre, Sweden in 1982, Lundqvist played his early hockey for the notable Swedish side Frolunda HC. In 2000, Rick DiPietro made headlines as the first goalie ever drafted first overall. While in the seventh round, the Rangers used the 205th pick to select a future superstar! Years later the comparison between the two New York franchise choices doesn’t read too well.
The young Swede was developed slowly and from 2000-2005 he played his hockey back home with Frolunda HC. He soon blossomed into a domestic giant and in 2005 he broke 4 Swedish records for most shutouts with 6, lowest GAA, highest save percentage and had a goalless streak of 172 minutes. Suddenly, the Rangers realized they had a hot goaltender in their midst. In 2005-06 Lundqvist finally made his NHL debut in week two after an injury to Kevin Weekes. He would never give up the starting spot.
By the time of his second season, both Rangers fans and media alike nicknamed him ‘The King’. His aggressive and unorthodox butterfly style made him a fan favourite instantly. Lundqvist was the tough and sharp goalie the MSG fans had been longing for since Mike Richter‘s retirement. ‘Lundsanity’ was in full flow and the Swede notched up a record 11 straight 30 win season. In 2012 however, he was at his career peak, taking home the Vezina with a 62-39-18 season, a microscopic 1.97 GAA and a career-high .930 save percentage.
The only thing missing was a championship. While New York was frequently playoff contenders, they always seemed to fall short. The closest Henrik would get to the ultimate honour was in 2014. Despite some inspired displays, NYR fell in the final to the LA Kings in five games. Despite two more solid seasons and becoming the most winning European goaltender, things would soon go south. From 2017 onwards both the Rangers and Lundqvist would fall from grace.
His numbers began dwindling and in his final season in New York, he looked a shadow of the player he was. In 2019-20, Lundqvist set a career-low 30-10-12 record with an astronomic 3.16 GAA and a career-low save percentage of .905. By the end of the season, he had been relegated to backing up Alexandar Georgiev. A meagre end to a tremendous career in NYC.
There was no way that Hank was going to round out his time with the Rangers sitting on the bench. However, the writing was on the wall and his overall play had been steadily declining. Most of us would’ve loved to have seen his name on the cup, but he was never able to get over that last hurdle. However, he will forever be considered a god by MSG fans due to his consistency and nice guy persona off the ice.
As a semi-Rangers fan, I actually happened to randomly meet him at Newark Airport on my way back to Toronto. Faced with a stammering mess of a fan, coincidentally wearing an NYR t-shirt with his name on it, he happily shook my hand and posed for a selfie! That day I became a truly devoted King Henrik fan!
What lies next for Lundqvist? Well at 38 his options will be limited. Many big sides already have established goaltenders and it’s likely he will have to take a major pay cut to hold down a starting role. However, part of me hopes he gets one final run at a cup. One slightly more feasible scenario is that New York signs him to a one day deal to allow him to retire a Ranger. Whatever decision he makes hockey fans everywhere can say a big thank you to this man because whether at home or against, he was one hell of a player!
Farewell King Henrik- one of the true greats!