The New York Rangers will be immortalizing one of their greatest players of all time, as the team will retire the number of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist on January 28th, 2022. The Swede announced his retirement from the NHL in August.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1442520141233754115
Henrik Lundqvist Number 30 to be Retired by Rangers
It’s little surprise the New York Rangers are giving Henrik Lundqvist one of their top honours. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in both wins and shutouts by a goaltender. Furthermore, he was the backstop during a period where the Rangers were on the brink of contention. In his 15 years as New York’s goalie, the team reached the playoffs 12 times. That includes a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, where they ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
King Henrik finished his NHL career with 887 games played, a career of 2.43 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. He also participated in 130 playoff games where he sported 2.30 goals against and a .921 save percentage.
My mom just told me tickets for the Henrik Lundqvist jersey retirement game just jumped from $200 to $1,000 in the matter of four minutes #NYR
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) September 27, 2021
Joining some of MSG’s Best
Lundqvist will be the ninth player to have his number retired by the Rangers. It will be the first jersey retired by the club since December of 2018 when they honoured Vic Hadfield. He will be the second goalie in the team’s 95-year history to see his jersey in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, joining Mike Richter.
Despite never winning a Stanley Cup, Lundqvist is among the best to ever don the blue shirt. He spent over a decade as one of the NHL’s top puck-stoppers in an era that overlapped with the likes of Martin Brodeur. As the consistent starting goalie in one of hockey’s largest markets and was never fazed by the spotlight. He was also instrumental in the Rangers’ closest chance at Stanley Cup glory since their 1994 championship win.
In addition to his on-ice work, Lundqvist also has his own charitable foundation that helps underserved youth. Despite being born and raised in Sweden, Henrik Lundqvist made New York his second home in every sense of the word. It should be no surprise his jersey will never be worn by another New York Ranger.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
