Henrik Lundqvist is one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. Lundqvist spent his entire 15-year career with the New York Rangers and set over 50 franchise records during his tenure with the club, including wins, shutouts, and playoff appearances/ victories.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Lundqvist helped lead Sweden to the gold medal with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Finland. Lundqvist, of course, made the game-winning save with less than 30 seconds left in the third period to seal the victory.
He also earned hockey’s most prestigious honor earlier in November, being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023.
On top of being a legendary athlete, Lundqvist is also a philanthropist and businessman. His newest business venture: fragrances.
Lundqvist started a new fragrance line from Morgan Madison, a Swedish lifestyle brand, called the “New Chapter,” referring to his life after hockey. He describes it as a high-quality, niche fragrance and hopes anyone who purchases it sees the effort they put into the product and enjoys it.
The Rangers legend described that the project took 18 months to build and says these fragrances capture the “essence of his career.”
“I’m starting a new phase in my life,” Henrik Lundqvist said when we chatted via Zoom. “My life’s been about hockey for a very long time … now I’m ready to move on to new things, new opportunities, challenges. … The name just sounded right for where I’m at in my life.”
Henrik Lundqvist's hockey journey to Hall of Fame
That journey in hockey started for Lundqvist in Kindergarten, when he was introduced to hockey by a few of his teachers who played.
Lundqvist’s dad took him and his brother Joel to a pro hockey game. Coming from a small town of 1,500 people, going to an NHL arena in front of a packed crowd (11,000+), piqued his interest.
“In that moment, we realized this was something we wanted to do and that’s when the journey started.”
It has been a hell of a journey from then to now for Lundqvist, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame earlier this month, along with the rest of the Class of 2023.
As Henrik describes, the HOF wasn't ever something he really envisioned or had as an ultimate goal.
“Growing up, playing in the league, you don't really think about the Hockey Hall of Fame. An incredible honor … so many players in there that were huge inspirations to me growing up. It's going to be so cool to spend the weekend up in Toronto with friends and family and experience it with them.”
Calling MSG home
Lundqvist only called Madison Square Garden home throughout his career.
He enjoyed immediate success in the toughest place to play, the bright lights of New York City, becoming the first NHL goaltender to start his career with 11 straight 20-win seasons while also becoming the 15th NHL goaltender to have won at least 20 games in a season 11 times
For King Henrik, he couldn’t have played anywhere else.
“It was never an option,” Lundqvist described. “I always felt like New York was my home, the organization was so good to me, this city, I love NYC, I just enjoyed every minute of my career as a Ranger.”
Towards the end of his career, he had an opportunity to play for the Washington Capitals, but shortly after, Lundqvist needed to have open heart surgery.
Lundqvist signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals in October 2020. However, in December he announced that he would miss the 2020-21 season due to an irregular heartbeat brought upon by pericarditis, which required an open-heart surgery that was performed in January 2021.
In April 2021, Lundqvist announced that he would not return to the Capitals during the 2020-21 season. A few months later, on August 20, 2021, Lundqvist announced his retirement from the NHL. Later that day, the Rangers announced they would retire Lundqvist’s number 30.
“It was ANOTHER sign I was only meant to play for one organization.”
Madison Square Garden, also known as the World's Most Famous Arena, is located at Penn Plaza, in between 31st and 33rd streets in Midtown Manhattan. It is the home of the Knicks and Rangers, as well as various concerts, shows, etc.
To King Henrik, what makes it so special?
“The building itself is so unique, the history, everything that goes on in there … there’s so much going on in there, you can feel the energy in there. The location of it is unique in the middle of New York City.”
From 1942 when the NHL started until 1967, the league only had six franchises.
These have been coined the Original Six: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 1967, six new franchises joined the Original Six.
As Henrik described, putting on the blue-and-red jersey and playing for a franchise with such a rich history like the Rangers organization was an honor.
“Players that played here feel pride,” Henrik Lundqvist said. “It’s an Original Six franchise, they do a great job taking care of the players, passionate fan base, you definitely feel the pressure and excitement of putting that jersey on, it’s a privilege for sure to get that opportunity. I believe players around the league feel it’s special to come play at the Garden.”
Lundqvist made his NHL debut on October 8, 2005. Against the New Jersey Devils, he stopped 24-of-27 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss.
Five days later, he would make his Madison Square Garden debut. Then on October 16, following Lundqvist’s dominant performance versus the Atlanta Thrashers, a 5-1 win, New York Post Rangers beat columnist Larry Brooks said the following in his postgame article:
“Fast becoming a Broadway folk hero, King Henrik of Sweden took an abbreviated victory lap around the ice while raising his stick and glove in a return salute to the fans who alternately chanted, “Henrik” and “Lundqvist” throughout the match in which the goaltender made several nifty stops among his 28 saves.”
King Henrik was born! The nickname stuck. All these years later, the only thing the. Rangers legend can do is laugh.
“I heard it a couple times on the streets of New York City. I definitely thought it would go away, it didn't!
“You can't take yourself too seriously, you laugh a bit. It’s definitely a nickname that’s hard to live up to! If my name wasn’t Henrik I think it would’ve been different. It’s an old royal thing, that’s my guess as to why Larry Brooks of the New York Post said it.”
Henrik Lundqvist's Olympic glory
Fast forward to the 2006 Winter Olympics, where Lundqvist got to represent his home country of Sweden.
In the gold-medal match, Sweden defeated rival Finland 3-2 in Torino, Italy, to capture its second gold medal and first since 1992.
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom scored 10 seconds into the third period to give Sweden the 3-2 lead. They never gave it back.
Lundqvist had 25 saves that day, including a wild save inside of 30 seconds left in the third period to seal the victory.
“Pure excitement, happiness, extremely proud as well,” Henrik Lundqvist said. “It’s a different feeling when you play for your country, few feelings that beat standing on the blue line, seeing the flag go up, listening to the national anthem, and accomplish something not just for your team but for your country.”
Seventeen years later, the natural question is: where is the medal now?
For Lundqvist, who was a five-time NHL All Star, the Rangers team MVP 10 times, the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner and much more, his trophy case has plenty of hardware.
“It’s in the office somewhere … to be honest, it was sitting behind a printer. I lost it for many years, now it’s out on display … you walk by it sometimes. It might be a photo, a jersey, in this caase a medal. It takes you back there. The experience, the Olympic village, teammates, to me that’s what happens with stuff like. It takes you back there, which is fun.”
Life after hockey
As one of the most accomplished New York athletes of all time, Lundqvist is more than qualified to answer a question on his New York athlete Mount Rushmore.
Over the last 20 years, he has certainly been able to see some of the greatest of all time in action.
“Derek Jeter is up there for sure, Eli Manning, Tom Seaver, Mark Messier, although he was an Oiler for a long time, he was the captain for the Rangers, that's a good list right there.”
As part of his next chapter, Lundqvist serves as a hockey analyst for MSG Networks and NHL on TNT.
The transition from player to broadcaster was certainly an adjustment for Lundqvist at first, going from being the face of the Rangers for over a decade to now talking about the same organization on television.
“It was challenging early on,” Henrik Lundqvist described. “I said ‘we’ a lot. After a few months, you get used to not being part of it that way but still feel part of the Rangers organization and the MSG family. I remember the first few months watching the game, it was a strange feeling no question about it.”
On the TNT side, the NHL studio crew is star-studded. Alongside Lundqvist is the NHL’s all-time leader in points and goals, Wayne Gretzky, NHL veterans Paul Bissonnette and Anson Carter, as well as host Liam McHugh.
“His hockey IQ was so high, that goes for all top players that the difference. A lot of times how they can read the player, whatever they're facing 1-on-1 versus a defenseman or goalie on the breakaway, they can read and react extremely quick and that sets them apart many times.”
Naturally, now that Lundqvist’s playing days are behind him, it’s very natural to talk about legacy and how he wants to be remembered.
On top of his broadcasting duties, Lundqvist, his wife, and his two daughters live in New York City.
In 2009, Lundqvist became the Rangers spokesman for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which works mostly with Madison Square Garden and works to host charitable events and grant wishes to sick children, similar to organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In 2014, Lundqvist and his wife founded the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation, a non-profit organization with a focus on health and education for children and families
“I do hope people that watched me play felt I had a lot of passion for what I was doing, everyday i tried to bring whatever I had, practice, game, that passion was a driving force for me. I love to compete and hopefully they could see that.”
Follow Us
Subscribe