Tribute Henrik Lundqvist Retires

[UnSandvich]

I know it's already been said in this thread, but if the tix for the jersey retirement game aren't in the 4 figures, i'm going. No if's, and's, or but's. period.

 

[Zamboner]

Favorite Ranger of all time, the stability he brought, the teams he carried, the style, the grace, the class, the hair, the suits, best goalie to never win a cup, and boy, did he try. Long live The King.

 

[bernmeister]

I send out a thank
to the man we call Hank

pity, would have been nice after we dealt Geo for him to back Shesty this yr, but there is a time [and place] for everything

 

[ElLeetch]

I know it's already been said in this thread, but if the tix for the jersey retirement game aren't in the 4 figures, i'm going. No if's, and's, or but's. period.

jesus. i remember grabbing a Richter single ticket for like $80.

I had season tickets for Graves, Mess, and Leetch, so i don't know what they were going for.

 

[Chimpradamus]

The crazy thing about this highlight reel is that there's nothing on it from the first 7 or so years of his career.

If they make a true highlight reel of his career they will have to start the ceremony at 2PM if the game has to start @7PM.

One of the greatest Rangers ever and we got to witness him.

I'm very happy and lucky to have watched him. Certainly made the 1AM game starts worth it.
The aspect of hockey that fascinates me most is goaltending and Hank made NYR fandom an awesome/sufferable experience. He gave us dozens of all time saves!
Most memorable to me the Montreal one, also that crazy Columbus game, where he had like three-four insane desperation stops.

I also watched one of his greatest games, I'd argue most NA fans don't pay much attention to. It certainly feels underrated to me around here.
The 2006 Olympics finals. Go watch the last 5 minutes.

Everything else has been said.

Thank you Henrik and long live the King!

"DEN SKA UT, DEN SKA UUUT!" (loosely translated the colour commentator is crapping his pants while he yells the puck HAS to be cleared out of the defensive zone because of immense Finnish pressure.)

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

Anyone remember this save form the 2005-06 season During his rookie year. It something I’ve always remembered regardless how young I was at that point….



my tweet btw

 

[Bricho]

jesus. i remember grabbing a Richter single ticket for like $80.

I had season tickets for Graves, Mess, and Leetch, so i don't know what they were going for.

It wasn’t ridiculous…. For Messier I paid double face and for the others it was not more than 1.5x.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Anyone remember this save form the 2005-06 season During his rookie year. It something I’ve always remembered regardless how young I was at that point….



my tweet btw

This is probably hitting us younger guys harder as we're finally seeing the legends we looked up to as kids retiring

 

[alkurtz]

Being the long time fan of a particular team gives you a strange and compressed view of life. It's almost as if we live in "dog years." We see players come up as kids, develop into young stars, young vets, vets, and eventually become "old" in their mid and late thirties. And then they retire.

It seems like just yesterday that I remember J.D. telling Sam Rosen about this young goalie in Sweden who had the potential to be really special. And here we are, all those years later paying homage to an all-time great, future HOFer.

But then, I remember Eddie Giacomin's first game, as well as Brad Parks and Brian Leetches. I remember when they called up a young Rod Gilbert for the playoffs in 1962.

As Ranger fans, we have a long and illustrious tradition of great goaltending: Gumper to Eddie to JD, to Beezer, to Mike, to Henrik. I will always have special affection for Giacomin, who as there when we first became a powerhouse team during the Francis era, and for Richter, who after all won us a Cup. But looking at it objectively, Henrik was simply the best of all of them, not only on the ice but in his off-ice persona. For me, he symbolized the greatness of NYC, an "immigrant" if you will, who embraced the city, internalized it, and made it his own. In turn, the city loved him back.

It still seems strange not to have him around. For all those years he was the heart and soul of the team. Simply the best.

 

[chosen]

Best Rangers goalie that I’ve seen. That includes Giacomin and Richter. Selfish on my part but I didn’t want to see him playing for another team.

Totally agree.

I'll take it a step further.

Hasek is easily the best goalie I ever saw.

Hank is in the discussion for 2nd best I ever saw.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Being the long time fan of a particular team gives you a strange and compressed view of life. It's almost as if we live in "dog years." We see players come up as kids, develop into young stars, young vets, vets, and eventually become "old" in their mid and late thirties. And then they retire.

It seems like just yesterday that I remember J.D. telling Sam Rosen about this young goalie in Sweden who had the potential to be really special. And here we are, all those years later paying homage to an all-time great, future HOFer.

But then, I remember Eddie Giacomin's first game, as well as Brad Parks and Brian Leetches. I remember when they called up a young Rod Gilbert for the playoffs in 1962.

As Ranger fans, we have a long and illustrious tradition of great goaltending: Gumper to Eddie to JD, to Beezer, to Mike, to Henrik. I will always have special affection for Giacomin, who as there when we first became a powerhouse team during the Francis era, and for Richter, who after all won us a Cup. But looking at it objectively, Henrik was simply the best of all of them, not only on the ice but in his off-ice persona. For me, he symbolized the greatness of NYC, an "immigrant" if you will, who embraced the city, internalized it, and made it his own. In turn, the city loved him back.

It still seems strange not to have him around. For all those years he was the heart and soul of the team. Simply the best.

Man stop you're making me scared of getting old to me Henriks rookie season seems like FOREVER ago I was a little kid

 

[EdJovanovski]

Only game I've seen at MSG, Lundqvist had a shutout against the then best team in the league, my hometown Canucks

 

[alkurtz]

Man stop you're making me scared of getting old to me Henriks rookie season seems like FOREVER ago I was a little kid

But it's one of the best things about life. My Ranger memories go back to, believe it or not, 1958. By the early 1960s, I was a hardcore fan. I was a season ticket holder in the old blue seats for the Francis era. Heck, I met my wife going to a Ranger playoff game in 1970. My two boys, now grown men, are hardcore Ranger fans.

For all the grief they have given me, there have been moments of unbridled joy. Although I am, believe it or not, 73, I still look forward to every season. Here it is August and I crave hearing Sam Rosen's voice.

Being a long term fan of a team is special, especially an Original Six team. Henrik was great and those memories will "last a lifetime." But there will be others yet to come. Hopefully another Cup soon. Embrace it, it's worth it.

 

[Deleted member 23124]

Totally agree.

I'll take it a step further.

Hasek is easily the best goalie I ever saw.

Hank is in the discussion for 2nd best I ever saw.

I think Tretiak was better than Hasek.

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

This is probably hitting us younger guys harder as we're finally seeing the legends we looked up to as kids retiring

It does too quick. When Girardi retired it stung and hurt. This is hurt on steroids.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Anyone remember this save form the 2005-06 season During his rookie year. It something I’ve always remembered regardless how young I was at that point….



my tweet btw

My favourite is probably #10 on this list. He robs Carcillo in the last, very crucial regular season game against Philly. The winner takes it all to make the playoffs. NYR and PHI were stood up against eachother in those scenarios quite a few times in the those days. It was the 3rd period, NYR lead 2-1 I think and Lundqvist just felt "Nope" and snagged it from nowhere. As he usually did. It was more like Philly vs Lundqvist, just as in most playoff series. The numbers of disappointed opposing fans from just having to beat that scrawny, flawed Rangers team when Lundqvist refused to lose. He was usually quite stubborn about not losing.

The one against Savard is also just crazy. Not that his more Hasek-esque saves in his older days aren't quite amazing either. He played systematic, solid hockey during the cup run attempts, but when his career was going downhill and the organization folded like a house of cards, he truly just tried to enjoy himself - and he did. He just played to have fun, you can see the change of style I think.


Not to say the rest of his pre 2012 saved aren't ridiculous either. And then there's the... his higlight reel is loooong.

 

[smoneil]

This is probably hitting us younger guys harder as we're finally seeing the legends we looked up to as kids retiring

Not really. It's hitting us older guys harder. Not only do we get hit with the face of the franchise retiring, but we get hit again hearing people talk about being 10 years old in 2005, haha (I was 25 years old in 2005).

 

[BleedinBLUEsince92]

I know it's already been said in this thread, but if the tix for the jersey retirement game aren't in the 4 figures, i'm going. No if's, and's, or but's. period.

If I had to guess, tickets will likely be 1k+. In 2014, Stanley Cup tickets at MSG were at least 1k to get into the door. Lundqvist retiring will be seen in similar magnitude, where any Rangers fan would want to be there and even casual fans to see the special event.

 

[Chytilmania]

I stopped watching the Rangers and Knicks around 98? when I was 10 years old. I picked hockey back up again in 2005 because of how much I loved watching the playoffs and trading for Jagr. Very happy I came back and got to see his whole career. Still one of the worst feelings is not getting Hank a Cup. He deserved way more.

 

[fm]

I stopped watching the Rangers and Knicks around 98? when I was 10 years old. I picked hockey back up again in 2005 because of how much I loved watching the playoffs and trading for Jagr. Very happy I came back and got to see his whole career. Still one of the worst feelings is not getting Hank a Cup. He deserved way more.

This mirrors my experience nearly to a tee. I stopped watching the Knicks in 2000 or 2001, and the Rangers about a year later. 05-06 I picked both teams back up. One team stunk, the other team stuck. I've been hooked on hockey ever since and I credit Hank. The best.

 

[Jauffre]

I forgot how acrobatic Hank was in his earlier years

He was lightning from post to post early in his career, so quick. Prime Henrik in terms of athleticism was a pleasure to watch every night. We all slept so soundly in 2005 knowing we'd have the King between to pipes for another decade or so. Just wish Sather built a few more contending teams with adept 5v5 offense and a working power-play.

 

[chosen]

I think Tretiak was better than Hasek.

I only saw Tretiak in 30 games or so, so it's difficult to agree or disagree.

One thing in favor of Hasek is that he spent most of his career in front of not very good teams while Tretiak played in front of one of the very best teams in hockey history.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

He was lightning from post to post early in his career, so quick. Prime Henrik in terms of athleticism was a pleasure to watch every night. We all slept so soundly in 2005 knowing we'd have the King between to pipes for another decade or so. Just wish Sather built a few more contending teams with adept 5v5 offense and a working power-play.

It sucks that post Jagr the best offensive player the Rangers have had by far is Panarin and we didn't get him until Hank was past his prime and we were rebuilding. Adding in a Panarin or even a Panarin-lite, let alone a Fox and Zibanejad, to any of Hank's Rangers teams and we're probably looking back on his multiple Cups. It's actually amazing we got as close as we did considering how inept the offense was for the majority of his career. I mean in the 2012 playoffs I think we averaged 2.1 goals a game or something stupid like that. In 2014 when we went to the Final our leading scorer was a defenseman in McDonagh who only had 17 points in 25 games. And we had power plays that we would've been better off turning the power play down bc they were so awful. Just SLIGHTLY more offense and we for sure win at least 1 cup, hell, if Chicago beats LA in 2014 I'm convinced we win the Cup that year and we definitely win it in 2015 if Zucc was playing and McD, Staal, Girardi and Yandle all didn't have to play through major injuries. Horrible injury luck in 2015 and penalty luck in the 2014 final. Man, it sucks.

 

[eco's bones]

I only saw Tretiak in 30 games or so, so it's difficult to agree or disagree.

One thing in favor of Hasek is that he spent most of his career in front of not very good teams while Tretiak played in front of one of the very best teams in hockey history.

Hasek had some good teams in Buffalo but not great ones. Similar to some of the better squads that Henrik had here with us. To me Henrik and Hasek had a lot in common as far as teams they played for and those teams tended to go as far as they could carry them.

Tretiak playing for the Red Army team always had some of the best other Russian players on his teams. Fetisov and Kasatonov were Russia’s best defensemen. Larionov, Makarov and Krutov was the best Soviet forward line. Red Army was almost always the best and deepest Russian team.

 

[chosen]

Hasek had some good teams in Buffalo but not great ones. Similar to some of the better squads that Henrik had here with us. To me Henrik and Hasek had a lot in common as far as teams they played for and those teams tended to go as far as they could carry them.

Tretiak playing for the Red Army team always had some of the best other Russian players on his teams. Fetisov and Kasatonov were Russia’s best defensemen. Larionov, Makarov and Krutov was the best Soviet forward line. Red Army was almost always the best and deepest Russian team.

You left out Kharlamov, who was my favorite teammate of Tretiak. He was so good that that prick Bobbly Clarke broke his ankle with a two-handed chop, which in my mind altered the winner of that memorable series.