Tribute Henrik Lundqvist Appreciation Thread

[SnowblindNYR]

Best news in this thread is that nevesis is still with us.

Anyway, really sad, I was 19 when he first started playing, this was my entire young adult-hood. Anyway, I've always been hard on him because he set the bar really high and any time he wasn't perfect I was disappointed. But this is a sad day.

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

Lundqvist posting (1/5) (2/5) on Instagram. You know Lundqvist loves us and the Rangers org to be making 5 uploads appreciating every aspect of the Rangers

 

[bobbop]

Hi Henrik, my name is Henrik too!

 

[JT Kreider]

Lundqvist posting (1/5) (2/5) on Instagram. You know Lundqvist loves us and the Rangers org to be making 5 uploads appreciating every aspect of the Rangers

Stepan getting his own photo in the montage is good to see. I was honestly convinced he got chased out of NY because of the "RELAX" incident in Ottawa

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Hank made hockey fun again.

 

[Kupo]

I don’t care if anyone thinks of me as a bitch. This literally made me shed some tears.

Thank you Henrik. f***ing Legend.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

This save on Girardi still blows my mind.

In addition to nostalgia for Lundqvist, I had nostalgia for crowds.

 

[mrhockey193195]

Lundqvist posting (1/5) (2/5) on Instagram. You know Lundqvist loves us and the Rangers org to be making 5 uploads appreciating every aspect of the Rangers

Him posting one every 90 minutes is going to be tough if he keeps it up. That's enough time for me to read one, start bawling, finally compose myself just in time for the next one. Rinse and repeat.

 

[JT Kreider]

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Hi Henrik, my name is Henrik too!

View attachment 369679

That is fantastic.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

The end of an era to be sure. Thanks for the memories Hank.

 

[Blueblood2]

Thanks for always giving everything you had! You never took a night off and that's all that any fan could ask for. Much happiness to you and your family in the future and dont be a stranger at the Garden.

 

[charliemurphy]

Lundqvist posting (1/5) (2/5) on Instagram. You know Lundqvist loves us and the Rangers org to be making 5 uploads appreciating every aspect of the Rangers

Yeah I was checking out the feeds. Thinking about the market being saturated with goalies its not out of the realm that he takes the year off or decides to hang them up. Have a feeling that he'll be returning and having some role within the organization in some capacity. At least, that's what I would like to see.

 

[Levitate]

An all-time great, probably the best Rangers goalie in the recent era, arguably the best goaltender overall from the time he came into the league up till a few years ago. A remarkable career and run for a position that often tends to have short highs rather than such consistency that Lundqvist showed over his career.

We'll be extremely lucky if we ever see another goalie of his type on the Rangers again in our lifetimes. Not to take away from someone like Shesterkin who is certainly skilled enough to lead the Rangers forward from here, but Lundqvist's consistency and longevity is unique.

He practically WAS the Rangers for the past 15 years.

 

[FoxyClean]

Feel like a family member died or something.

If you don't shed some tears today, there's probably something wrong with you emotionally. This man was EVERYTHING to us, for many of us since we were young children.

This is the worst sports-related pain I've ever felt, and we've been through some shit.

Thank you, Hank. And I'm sorry we never got one for you.

 

[mrhockey193195]

Feel like a family member died or something.

If you don't shed some tears today, there's probably something wrong with you emotionally. This man was EVERYTHING to us, for many of us since we were young children.

This is the worst sports-related pain I've ever felt, and we've been through some shit.

Thank you, Hank. And I'm sorry we never got one for you.

I assume you're a little bit younger than I am. For me, it was Messier leaving for Vancouver, Gretzky retiring, Leetch getting traded, Richter retiring...

This one hurts just as much, but you become slightly more numb to it as you get older and experience it a few times. I don't know if that's better or worse...

 

[broadwayblue]

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.

Is it ok if I do both?

 

[FoxyClean]

I assume you're a little bit younger than I am. For me, it was Messier leaving for Vancouver, Gretzky retiring, Leetch getting traded, Richter retiring...

This one hurts just as much, but you become slightly more numb to it as you get older and experience it a few times. I don't know if that's better or worse...

I was 8 years old during Hank's rookie year, and that's the year I started watching hockey. I don't know the Rangers, or hockey as a whole for that matter, without Henrik Lundqvist being the epitome of it. And now I'm a grown-ass man sobbing at work even though I've mentally prepared for this for years now. If we'd won a Cup with him, or at the very least if he had a deserved send-off and farewell, a final game with fans in the stands saluting him, it would've been much easier. But to have it happen like this is just pure pain.

 

[Siddi]

This day was something I feared would come. Back in 2007-08 Avery and my love for the city made me a Ranger fan but Hank was the player who got me to stay.
Would love to see him lift the cup if he decides he wants to continue to play. Hopefully it wont be against the Rangers.

End of an era. Absolute f***ing legend.

LGR!!!

 

[GameSeven]

What else is there to say? While a rival, he was synonymous with NYR hockey for most of a generation. Will always remember his spirited battles with NJ's own legend. It will take some getting used to games without Henrik in the crease. As an outsider, you have to have appreciation for a guy who was often your bright spot during the lean years and provided often exceptional play throughout your contending years.

 

[broadwayblue]

Coincidentally, Henrik and my daughter were at The Garden on March 7, when Henrik appeared for the last time in New York as a Ranger.

There are so many emotions, so many memories, so many things I’d like to say but it all can be summed up like this...

Thank You Henrik, you were truly “The King”

I too happened to be at that game in some of the best seats I've ever sat in...just behind the glass on the visitor end. Not a great game, but was nice to see Hank appear in relief. Did think that it could be one of the last times I might see him in person. I'm pretty sure I caught Covid that night and was knocked on my ass for a month beginning the following Wednesday. But I'm still happy I will be able to say I was there at the end.

 

[mrhockey193195]

I was 8 years old during Hank's rookie year, and that's the year I started watching hockey. I don't know the Rangers, or hockey as a whole for that matter, without Henrik Lundqvist being the epitome of it. And now I'm a grown-ass man sobbing at work even though I've mentally prepared for this for years now. If we'd won a Cup with him, or at the very least if he had a deserved send-off and farewell, a final game with fans in the stands saluting him, it would've been much easier. But to have it happen like this is just pure pain.

Totally. Watching your childhood heroes go is one of the hardest parts of being a sports fan. For me, I was a teenager when Henrik arrived in NY, so this feels more like the death of my childhood that I've so desperately tried to hold onto. I'm fully aware that I'll never be irrationally obsessed with another athlete again, because...well...I'm in my 30s and I'm a more rational person than when I was younger. But watching Hank play was that single remaining thread that made me feel like a kid again.

 

[NYR94]

I think it's fitting that many will refer to 2005-2020 as the Lundqvist era. When I think of New York Rangers hockey during that era, I think of him symbolizing those teams and years of sustained success before any other Ranger. The level of excellence he sustained and the length of time he did it for is inspiring.

 

[n8]

It's a shame AV doesn't know how to adapt to adversity (specifically the LA Kings).
Lundqvist was the reason we were able to escape hockey hell during the late 90s to 2004 and end our 7 year playoff drought.
I always wondered what our team would be like if we had promoted Tortorella instead of hiring freakin Ron Low. Muckler, Low, Trottier. What a train wreck of coaches. Sorry, Henrik thread! He rescued us from that circus for sure. A bit sad he wasn't able to reach 500 wins.
He will always be the King!

 

[thethirdhockeyman91]

Somewhere down the line, Hank will become the General Manager and lead the Rangers to a Stanley Cup.