Lundqvist has number retired by Rangers

NEW YORK -- Henrik Lundqvist waved to the crowd as it loudly chanted his name. He touched his heart with his right hand and extended it out in full gratitude for the support and love he was once again receiving inside Madison Square Garden.

This was as much a chance for the New York Rangers to retire Lundqvist's No. 30, making him the 11th player in their history to have his number hang in the Garden rafters, as it was for the former goalie to finally have a chance to say goodbye to the fans who regularly chanted his name for 15 seasons (2005-20) in the only NHL arena he called home.
Lundqvist's number was retired prior to New York's 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Friday.
"I'm so happy to get this moment with my family, my friends, but most of all I'm so happy to get an opportunity to say thank you," Lundqvist said during his 12-minute speech. "You have supported me throughout my career. It's been an amazing experience and it's given me so much joy and it's definitely played a huge part in making my journey so special. Thank you."

Lundqvist left the Rangers after the 2019-20 season, when the final season of his seven-year contract was bought out.
He signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals with the intention of playing for them in the 2020-21 season, but a heart issue forced him to announce his retirement Aug. 20, 2021.
Lundqvist is the New York leader in wins (459), games played by a goalie (887), shutouts (64) and save percentage (.918) among those with more than 100 games played. He also is the Rangers' Stanley Cup Playoff leader in wins (61), games played by a goalie (130), save percentage (.921) and shutouts (10). Lundqvist played his entire NHL career with the shootout and without tie games.
He won the Vezina Trophy in 2011-12 voted as the best goalie in the NHL and helped the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, when they lost the best-of-7 series to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
"When I look back on my 15 years in here, what gives me the most satisfaction is not the wins or personal satisfaction, it's the commitment I felt to the New York Rangers and the commitment they showed in me," Lundqvist said. "I keep coming back to one feeling. I feel so grateful everything this organization has given me."

After finishing his speech, Lundqvist, his wife, Therese, and daughters Juli and Charlise walked down the blue carpet to the goal crease to watch his No. 30 go up to the rafters. It joined Ed Giacomin's No. 1; Brian Leetch's No. 2; Harry Howell's No. 3; Rod Gilbert's No. 7; Adam Graves' and Andy Bathgate's No. 9; Mark Messier's and Vic Hadfield's No. 11; Jean Ratelle's No. 19; and Mike Richter's No. 35.
Lundqvist was later joined on the carpet by Leetch, Messier, Richter and Graves. They stood together in their blue Rangers sweaters, taking pictures and waving to the crowd. They walked off as Frank Sinatra's "Theme from 'New York, New York'" blared through the arena.
"Enjoy the ride playing for the New York Rangers and playing in the greatest city in the world," Lundqvist said, addressing the current Rangers during his speech. "This experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you."
Earlier, the fans started chanting "Hen-rik, Hen-rik, Hen-rik" minutes before the lights went dark to signal the start of the ceremony. The Garden lit up with the LED bracelets that were left at every seat for the fans.
The Rangers players, each in a Lundqvist jersey, and the Wild players all sat on or in front of their benches.
Richter started the festivities by welcoming Lundqvist to the fraternity of Rangers players to have their jersey number retired.
"I have not experienced many goaltenders in my life that can come to the rink and give his team a chance to win the way this guy did," Richter said earlier Friday. "Nobody asked more of himself than Hank, and nobody delivered more than him."

Lundqvist, selected by New York in the seventh round (No. 205) of the 2000 NHL Draft, experienced his first game at the Garden in April of 2001.
Rangers general manager and president Glen Sather said he knew Lundqvist's future was in New York after seeing him play in Gothenburg, Sweden, for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League in 2004.
"I was there with an agent by the name of Paul Theofanous and I said, 'This is the next one,'" Sather said earlier Friday. "I had only seen one game. There was something about him, the way he electrified the crowd, the way he was poised, the way he conducted himself. … He is the epitome of a New York Ranger."
Longtime Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen served as the emcee of the ceremony. He introduced Lundqvist, who walked through the tunnel from the home dressing room to the ice.
Lundqvist waved to the crowd as they chanted "Hen-rik, Hen-rik, Hen-rik."
Rosen began by reading Lundqvist's bio, telling the story of when his twin brother Joel raised his arm to volunteer him to become a goalie when they were young kids living in Are, Sweden.
Joel was among the honored guests on the ice that included Lundqvist's parents, Peter and Eva; sister Gabriella; his wife and kids; and Leetch, Messier, Graves and Richter.
"He became the only goalie in NHL history to record 30 wins in each of his first seven seasons," Rosen said. "He was the fastest in NHL history to reach 400 wins (727 games). And he currently holds the record for most wins by a European-born goaltender in NHL history."

Tennis legend John McEnroe, Lundqvist's close friend, gifted him an electric guitar from Hagstrom Guitars in Sweden, hand-painted with the former goalie's image and number by artist David Gunnarsson, who used to paint Lundqvist's masks.
Rangers head equipment manager Acacio Marques gave Lundqvist a case that includes 74 pucks, one from each of his NHL shutouts. Lundqvist, hugging Marques, wiped tears from his eyes.
New York alternate captains Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Jacob Trouba, Ryan Strome and Barclay Goodrow presented him with three special bottles of wine from Vineyard 36 in a case autographed by members of the current team.
"It just honestly [stinks] that we couldn't end the night on a better note," Zibanejad said after the game, "especially with the way it started, the whole ceremony, seeing him, seeing his family and just listening to that crowd really. It was a night I'll never forget. I'm grateful I got to be a part of it. He deserves it all. I couldn't be happier for him."
Messier, Graves, Leetch and Richter unveiled a custom Louis Vuitton travel trunk with Lundqvist's number.
"I think in the history of the Rangers I don't think you'll ever find someone else who is so New York in every way, in the community, in the net, his compete, his hunger, his dress, everything," Graves said earlier. "When you talk about an organization that's been around close to 100 years and has a representation and continues to have a representation, certainly it doesn't get any better than the last 15 years with Hank."
Former goalie Kevin Weekes, Lundqvist's teammate from 2005-07, may have summed up the impact the honoree made in New York at the end of his remarks during the ceremony.
"All the greats play New York, all the greats play the Garden, but very few of them have played and dominated here the way in which you have," Weekes said. "Next stop, the Hockey Hall of Fame."