Confirmed with Link: Rangers Buy Out Contract of Henrik Lundqvist

[Raspewtin]

slept on it and knew this was coming for months and this still sucks

 

[Filthy Dangles]

NHL Youtube Channel just uplaoded this a few mins ago

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

What a bummer. Guy dragged some dead ass teams deep into the playoffs. Deserved a Cup.

 

[Rangerboy030]

Long live King Henrik.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

You know, when he’s playing bad and you start to puff your chest out and say things like “well he’s old now they’ll just buy him out!” You don’t realize how shitty you actually feel when it actually happens and they do buy him out.

Please sign somewhere and go win the whole f***ing thing.

Ya it's funny cause the amount of times I saw fans say to pleeeeease buy him out and hope and pray hes gone next season was insane this season... I realize it is a emotional sport for fans to watch but I agree it's a sad day now for NYR fans. Deep down I knew all fans would be upset when it happened

 

[NYR94]

Knew it was coming, still very sad. Won't be able to say anything that hasn't already been said.

The amount of games he stole for us are too many to count.

The 2010 game 82 in Philly, that game would have been 10-1 if not for him.

I still maintain that Game 7, 2014 Vs Pitt is the best game I ever saw him play. That 3rd period was simply a man refusing to allow his team to lose. It was remarkable. I still vividly remember sometime in the last 10 minutes of that game becoming totally calm, all my nerves vanished. I knew he wasn't going to let us lose.

Other teams were always more talented than the Rangers, but we had him and many nights that was enough.

In an era where fans sometimes questions if the players "care" or "want it" as much as they do, you never had that question about Hank. He lived and died with each game. Much like we do. He embraced NYC and all that good and bad that come with playing here like no pro athlete that I can remember, maybe not since Reggie Jackson. But that was before my time.

We'll never be able to thank him enough for being part of the crew that brought this franchise back from the dead and to the cusp of a championship.

Thank you a million times over for everything Hank, see you in the Hall of Fame.

Agree with everything especially the parts I bolded. Very nicely said.

 

[Thirty One]

31 is the best goalie number. i will have none of this.

Agreed.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Ya it's funny cause the amount of times I saw fans say to pleeeeease buy him out and hope and pray hes gone next season was insane this season... I realize it is a emotional sport for fans to watch but I agree it's a sad day now for NYR fans. Deep down I knew all fans would be upset when it happened

I’m one of them, and not gonna lie, it’s the right thing. But being the right thing certainly doesn’t make it any better feeling.

 

[AB13]

This is not an acceptable way to treat a top 3 player in franchise history. Would much rather have got rid of Georgiev.

 

[Trxjw]

This is not an acceptable way to treat a top 3 player in franchise history. Would much rather have got rid of Georgiev.

Lundqvist didn't want to be the backup. So there was no alternative.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Knowing it's coming and makes sense doesn't make it any easier.

Lundqvist and Leetch are the two greatest Rangers of all time, depending on the day.

 

[Leonardo87]

Sad day in Rangerstown. Tampa is getting a parade now, and we just lost our king. Hopefully the rise of Prince Igor, will show us to the way to victory and we shall get our damn parade soon.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

I'm surprised they're not doing a press conference to be honest

Actually a little disappointed about it

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

End of an era for sure.. He deserved a cup, hopefully he can latch onto a team somewhere who can give him another shot at one.

 

[JimmyG89]

God damn it, this one really hits every heartstring

 

[will1066]

"Should've used the buyout on Trouba." --@EdJovanovski

 

[JaeTM]

NHL Youtube Channel just uplaoded this a few mins ago

He was so good there was like 5 or 6 times in that video the announcers were like "and it hit the post" and nope....just Hank being Hank.

Thanks for the memories #30, you will be missed.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Lundqvist didn't want to be the backup. So there was no alternative.

I was pissed at the team for a little bit when this news broke, especially after the Staal trade that opened up extra cap space. I thought he deserved to finish out the last year of his deal here but after reading that this was mostly a mutual agreement (at least he gets a say if he wants to continue his career elsewhere) and Hank didn't want to be a backup, it's probably for the best.

I wonder too if the uncertainty of having fans in the building next season also played into their decision. No use giving him a sendoff throughout the league if no one will be there to see it.

 

[AB13]

"Should've used the buyout on Trouba." --@EdJovanovski

I understand you are joking but we should have traded him for sure. We still can but probably won’t. But Fox and DeAngelo are miles ahead of him at the moment.

 

[Trxjw]

I was pissed at the team for a little bit when this news broke, especially after the Staal trade that opened up extra cap space. I thought he deserved to finish out the last year of his deal here but after reading that this was mostly a mutual agreement (at least he gets a say if he wants to continue his career elsewhere) and Hank didn't want to be a backup, it's probably for the best.

I wonder too if the uncertainty of having fans in the building next season also played into their decision. No use giving him a sendoff throughout the league if no one will be there to see it.

Yeah I think most of us hoped he would finish things out with a farewell tour at the very least but the team has to focus on the future. Just wasn't a tenable situation to have a franchise legend riding the bench all year.

This sucks but at least it sucks in the kind of way that we can understand and eventually come to terms with.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

We lost the Cup the second the Hawks lost in Game 7 OT. We would have taken them.

We lost the second we hired AV. He turtled us right into 2 losses and we'd go on to watch him transform a team that won something like 137-2 when leading going into the 4rd....to blowing leads like it's an Oprah giveaway

We went with the name coach right when we had legit talent. Watched him continue to build his resume coasting on the backs of good-elite rosters with an elite G like he's done his whole career. Then he proceeded to lose the big ones like he's done his whole career.

Special mention to Chere and Sauer as well as some of the most atrocious drafting decisions ever made in the sports history. And Ill always defend the OVERALL drafting we did back then. But when we made bad picks they were historically bad

I dont like this move. I dont like the Staal move. They need to change my mind by using the money correctly. I don't anticipate that happening but Gorton isn't Sather so he's got some rope

 

[NYR Viper]

I knew this was coming and yet this still gets me emotional. It's difficult for me to put into words the amount of respect I have for him as a player and as a person. The amount of joy he brought to my life over the last 15 years is countless and, to me, he's been the guy who WAS this organization through a time where they not only became respectable after being laughable but one of the best franchises year after year with him at the backbone. I'm hopeful he sees a quick path towards rejoining the organization.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Yeah I think most of us hoped he would finish things out with a farewell tour at the very least but the team has to focus on the future. Just wasn't a tenable situation to have a franchise legend riding the bench all year.

This sucks but at least it sucks in the kind of way that we can understand and eventually come to terms with.

For sure. Outside of him and the team winning a Cup, it was never going to be a good exit. The crappy part of the business I guess.

 

[kovazub94]

I wouldn't resent him for doing so.

I would (resent maybe a bit of a strong word here). If he wanted to truly retire or retire from the NHL to go back to play in Sweden I'm sure the Rangers would find a way to compensate him for the lost $3m over time with interest in a consultants or some other front office capacity. We could almost guarantee that Hank's desire to continue his NHL career and lack of trade options is what led to the buyout scenario.

 

[Rempe73]

Wasn’t expecting this, even with all the rumors. This is actually very sad. Obviously Hank wasn’t near his best the past couple seasons, but is going to be easily remembered as one of the best goalies of all time. Arguably, the most consistent too