Henrik Lundqvist: Hockey Hall of Famer
Henrik Lundqvist officially becomes a Hall of Famer tonight, a well-deserved honor for a true master of his craft, and someone who did just about everything you can as a professional hockey player. All things considered, winning Olympic Gold, having your number retired twice, and ending up in the Hall of Fame on top of all the other individual achievements is pretty, pretty good.
We have covered the accolades of Henrik’s career on several occasion here at Blueshirt Banter, and I thought today it would be nice to take a trip down memory lane and link to some of them here because they aren’t as easily accessible as they were when we were at our former home.
First off we have the 30 Day of Lundqvist series which is one of my favorite things that Blueshirt Banter has ever done. There were so many moments to choose from, and it’s a great way to spend some time reminiscing.
Tag: 30 Days of LundqvistSkip to content
Then there’s a story I wrote after Lundqvist was bought-out which looked at the impact he had on the city of New York.
Henrik Lundqvist’s Impact Off the Ice Will Be Greatly Missed in New YorkIt is hard to picture Henrik Lundqvist wearing the uniform of another NHL team. This isn’t strictly a new thought influenced by current events, but instead one held by a legendary Ranger who took the…
Henrik Lundqvist Announces Retirement from Hockey, Rangers to Retire Number This SeasonHenrik Lundqvist has retired from hockey. Lundqvist undoubtedly will go down as the best goaltender of the post-lockout era, and one of the greatest in league history who will one day be inducted to…
Tonight Henrik Lundqvist Gets The Sendoff He Earned and DeservesTonight Henrik Lundqvist’s No. 30 takes its rightful place in the iconic concave ceiling of Madison Square Garden, joining a bevy of banners that represent the history of the building and some of the…
The other two above are self explanatory, and provide a look at the numbers and accolades associated with Henrik’s career.
Tonight is going to be an emotional night, and I eagerly look forward to hearing Hank speak. We are really lucky that he’s remained around the team and is as active with the broadcast as he his, and he’s able to be part of the lives of Ranger fans, and potentially introduced to new ones in a different way.
Deep down I think many of us hope that he will join the team in hockey operations at some point and that the team can win a championship so he can get the ring he deserves, but I think Hank’s made peace with that and is fine being the best, or one of the best, to retire without winning a Stanley Cup.
I’d like to use this space and comments section as a place where we all can appreciate Henrik and share some stories or memories. He had a career that started in 2005, and I imagine that over the years through various games, events, meet and greets etc. there are ones that haven’t been talked about, or others that have simply just been forgotten.
It was a pleasure to watch Henrik during his career, and it’s really cool to see him as one of the top TV analysts both on MSG and TNT. I’m a lot different as a person in 2023 than I was in 2005, and I know that I will never see another goalie like him.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see Igor Shesterkin and everything he’s accomplishing, but Hank in his prime and during his rise to the top was something special to experience. In that respect I consider myself blessed, because I know that the Rangers as a franchise have a long history, and there are probably a good number of fans who lived through some truly dark times in which the team was devoid of talent.
Tonight we get to all celebrate one of our own taking their rightful place among the greatest of the greats in Toronto, and everything associated with his career will live on forever
Long live the King.