I remember sitting at the World’s Most Famous Arena as a kid — popcorn in one hand, cotton candy in the other — drowning in an oversized jersey. I was just learning about the game I would soon grow to love.
The “HEN-RIK” chant was one of the first things I learned. My dad would lift me on his shoulders to join the Garden crowd in praising our goaltender’s talents –– it was my favorite part about going to games. I was lucky enough to grow up during the Henrik Lundqvist era and I don’t think I actually ever believed it would end. But it has.
It was a momentous night at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28 as Lundqvist, a Rangers legend, watched his number 30 rise into the historic rafters. After 15 years wearing red, white and blue in the bright lights of New York City, the goaltender was honored for his impact on and off the ice.
Perhaps one of the most esteemed athletes to never win a championship, it was bittersweet watching Lundqvist’s career officially come to a close. It’s the heartbreaking story of a franchise and league great never reaching the ultimate dream.
Nonetheless, “Hank” broke records and pushed the play of Rangers hockey during his time in the crease. Lundqvist’s 459 career wins puts him sixth on the all-time NHL list, first for European-born goalies, and first in team history.
He picked up the Vezina Trophy in the 2011-2012 season during, arguably, the peak of his career and earned the “Mr. Game 7” title with stand-up performances when his group needed him the most. The staunch competitor had a 6-2 record and posted a .961 save percentage in the Game 7’s he played.
As Lundqvist stood in front of the Garden faithful with family, teammates and friends by his side, it was hard not to relive the sting of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final run. His speech was a reminder of the glory days on 7th Ave., his unwavering desire to win and the immeasurable pride he had wearing a Rangers jersey.
To make the night even more emotional than it already was, Mats Zuccarello watched the ceremony from the visitor’s bench, now sporting the Minnesota Wild’s emblem. Zucc and Hank were the heart and soul of the Rangers squad during their tenures in The Big Apple — to see them both on MSG ice again could make the toughest of fans cry.
Lundqvist lifted and united his team and the fanbase throughout his career, and now he’s cemented in Rangers history forever. He set a standard in the locker room and on the ice for what it means to play for the organization all while being the best-dressed man in the city.
As Rangers’ play-by-play announcer Sam Rosen said in the ceremony’s introduction, “His competitive spirit, work ethic, perfectionism, will stand as a model…and just as his banner will hang in these rafters forever, his name will always have a place in the hearts of New Yorkers and sports fans everywhere.”
Spot on.
