Friday, September 30, 2011

Henrik & Joel Lundqvist Swedish Post-Game Video Interview




Thank you to reader Anna for providing us with a translation for the interview:

They just talk about how it was for him to be there. He says he tried to prepare himself for this but that it wasn't possible. He's usually very focussed before a game but that was hard this time. He was nervous to play against Joel. He has been thinking about it a lot this week, how much has happened since he came to Frölunda 16 years ago. It feels unreal. The team has meant a lot to him and his brother since they were 5 years old. Joel says Henrik played a great game and that he didn't get any good chances, that he was mostly chasing the puck. When asked if next time they'll play together instead of against each other they say we'll see, a lot can happen in a career but right now Joel loves playing in Frölunda and Henrik in NY.



Thursday, September 15, 2011

For Lundqvist, a Summer of Joy and Sorrow

By JEFF Z. KLEIN





Henke, after the Rangers were eliminated in the first round last season you said that you felt your chance to win a Stanley Cup had become limited.

A.
Yes, you do start to realize that your time is limited. I try to enjoy it at the same time — I realize I’m very lucky to be playing, and to be here in New York. But I realize, “O.K., I don’t have that many chances.” When you’re young you don’t think about your future. As you get older you start to realize you have to make the best of it. I was real disappointed last year. I was excited to be in the playoffs, but then it felt like we could have done better, starting with me. You always feel like you can play better.

So this summer I was anxious to see what’s going on. We had a lot of guys to sign. So it was big to see that we got most of the guys back, and then we signed Brad Richards. That was very exciting to see. I’m very excited about this year. There are a lot of things — the Europe trip, the Winter Classic, HBO, the home arena is a little different now too — a lot of things going on.

Q.
You mention the HBO series the Rangers will be on leading up to Winter Classic game vs. Philadelphia. Did you watch the HBO series last year with Pittsburgh and Washington?

A.
I watched a few episodes last year. I thought they did a pretty good job. I’m in the games, so I know what’s going on, but for a guy that hadn’t really paid attention to the game or hadn’t known what’s going on, I think it’d be interesting to see how things work.

I hope we handle it well, but I don’t know how much they’re going to be in our face. Mentally you just have to prepare for it, to be able to block it out. Have fun with it off the ice, see it as a great experience and a fun thing. But when it comes to practice and games, the focus needs to be there.

Q.
Do you think Torts will save a few choice rants for the HBO cameras?

A.
(Laughs) It’s going to be exciting to see how things play out. But like I said, it’ll be a great experience to have them around.

Q.
The plane crash in Yaroslavl — you knew Lokomotiv’s Swedish goalie, no?

A.
Yes, I knew Stefan Liv. It’s crazy — I can’t believe that it happened. I played with Stefan for a lot of years on the national team. We had a good relationship. I saw him this summer in Gothenburg. Just a great, great guy. I also knew Karel Rachunek — he was here with the Rangers. Those two guys.

Someone asked me if it felt weird, flying. When you’re in there you can’t really control anything — you’re in someone else’s hands. You just have to accept it. I’m usually pretty comfortable flying. You always think this will never happen to you, but when it does happen, or to someone close to you, it makes you think.

Q.
Have there been flights where you’ve been worried?

A.
I’m not going to lie. I played with the junior national team in Russia probably 10 years ago or so, and the plane maybe wasn’t what I was used to. The seats were just folding like this (gestures to indicate a seat flopping back and forth). They didn’t really care if we had seat belts. It was just a really different style of flying. But I heard they have great pilots in Russia. You just never really know about security or safety.

Because we fly so much, you always have a couple of incidents here or there. The Rangers a couple of years ago, we came in two or three times and couldn’t land. It felt like we touched the first two times, but I guess it was just the air bumping the plane — we were really close. I guess we got the wrong information from the tower because we were coming in from the wrong side and had too much side wind. The third time it was, “O.K., now we’ve got the right information,” and we came in from the other side. That was a little scary. You just have to deal with it. I’m usually relaxed, but if something happens there’s really not much you can do, unfortunately.

Q.
Where were you last May when you heard about Derek Boogaard?

A.
Actually I was in the British Virgin Islands, and my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, got a text message saying he passed away. You get just a bad feeling in your stomach for hours, for days. It’s just a weird feeling. It’s hard to understand.

Q.
Did it come as a complete surprise to you?

A.
Yeah, absolutely. It was a shock, definitely. Really sad, the way it happened.

Q.
You knew he was in substance abuse program and dealing with this?

A.
Well, I knew he was in L.A. for a little bit. But he was just, you know, always when you saw him he was always such a nice person, and you felt like he was doing great. Then I didn’t see him for a couple months later in the season, he was gone. Then the season ended, and you think, ‘O.K., I’ll see him next season, and let’s start over after the concussion and have a great year.’

And then that happens, and it was shocking. It took me a couple days to realize it really happened. When someone passes away who’s close to you, it takes a while before you really realize he’s gone.

Q.
With Derek’s death and the deaths of Rick Rypien and Wade Belak this summer, will guys will look differently at enforcers now, maybe worry about them more?

A.
Maybe it’ll be that guys make sure everybody’s feeling great, that if you see anything that doesn’t feel right with a guy, you’ll approach him. Doesn’t matter if you’re the goalie or the forward or the fighter or whatever, you just want to make sure that everyone’s having a great time. We play a great game and have a great life, and we’re lucky to do that. So hopefully it brings something good out of this bad stuff that happened, that we try to look after each other even more. Even now we try to be tight and look after each other, but obviously we can’t do it 24/7.





http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/lundqvist/?smid=tw-nytimesslapshot&seid=auto


Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Henrik's New Mask For 2011-2012 Season




The story

David about the design:

This mask is dedicated to our friend Stefan Liv.

The design is a direct continuation of Henrik's earlier so popular masks. I have painted for Lundqvist for more than 13 years now and it's so much fun and crative. It's been a fantastic journey to follow Henrik from the time as a junior in Frölunda to the super star in NHL that he is today. Together Henrik and I have created and developed his own so characteristic mask look with clear colors, strong contrasts and nice 3-D effects. Designs that create trends. Designs that are perfectly visible from a long distance, but also feature an ocean of detail work when you look more close.

The Statue of Liberty, Henrik's signum on his masks, is placed on one side of the mask, accompanied by Henrik's own logo on the other. Together they create a graphic king's crown that gives the mask it's theme and name. All spiced up with a maximum of bling bling glitter with DAVEART XXFX Glitter. The blue base lifts the glitter to a new level. The extreme detail work and depth effects are obvious, just like the lightning bolts that Henrik has had on his masks since his time in Frölunda in Sweden.



http://www.daveart.com/mask-gallery/set/72157627547339751/default.aspx


Monday, September 12, 2011

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Rummaging With Henrik Lundqvist

The normally dapper New York Rangers goalie steps outside his sartorial comfort zone to shop for sporty activewear.
By Cristina Velocci






For a professional athlete, Henrik Lundqvist spends hardly any time in active apparel: When he’s not in the rink, the Swedish ice-hockey player estimates that he wears a suit four to five days a week. “When we travel with the team, we always wear suits,” he explains. “It’s probably what I feel most comfortable in.” Even more surprising, when he arrives straight from practice wearing a polished Atlas button-up shirt, Reiss khaki shorts and midtop Nike sneakers he claims, “Well, today I’m not that dressy.” Can someone get this guy a sweatshirt? With the Rangers’ 2011 preseason kicking off on Wednesday 21 (the team will play the New Jersey Devils in Albany, New York), we decided it was as good a time as any to ease the ice king into some more casual, sporty threads.


Fjällräven Kånken Original backpack, $65, at Tretorn, 150 Spring St between West Broadway and Wooster St (646-454-9680, store.tretorn.com)

Since Tretorn has its origins in Helsingborg, Sweden, the footwear brand’s Soho store stocks items from other Swedish labels—including this cheery backpack, which conjures nostalgic memories for Lundqvist. “I remember [Fjällräven] from when I was really young and had one of its backpacks,” he recalls. “It’s really retro. Now it’s coming back in Sweden and all of the cool kids have these, but back then it was just my schoolbag.”

Tretorn Skymra Mid XCR Gor-Tex shoes, $84, at Tretorn

Lundqvist can sum up the bulk of his wardrobe in three words: “Blue, black and gray.” These waterproof mid-top sneakers manage to incorporate all of the athlete’s preferred hues. “I would wear these with an outfit like I’m wearing today, or maybe with jeans and a T-shirt,” he muses. The versatile kicks would even pair well with an umbrella: They’re made from the same durable material as raincoats.

Happy Socks thin striped socks, $12, at Tretorn

“A lot of Swedes have these socks,” says Lundqvist. “Back home, you’ll see people in black suits wearing red, pink or blue socks, and they [cuff their pants] to show them off.” Though the Stockholm label is best known for its wildly patterned pairs, Lundqvist would rather slip into the trend with one of these subtle, striped options. “Those are too crazy,” he admits after surveying the display. “I haven’t gotten there yet!”

Tretorn Skymra SL canvas shoes, $65

“I played a lot of tennis this summer,” says Lundqvist, who is a member at Midtown Tennis Club (341 Eighth Ave at 27th St; 212-989-8572, midtowntennis.com). “It’s fun but it’s also a great workout for me—as a goalie, I need to be quick on my feet and pretty flexible.” He gravitates toward the sporty green stripe on the back of these canvas sneakers. “This is more [suitable for] country-club tennis—I play hard-core tennis and would honestly like more support, but you will look good in these, that’s for sure!”

Patagonia men’s long-sleeved pima cotton shirt, $75, at Patagonia, 101 Wooster St between Prince and Spring Sts (212-343-1776, patagonia.com)

One of the first things Lundqvist picks up at outdoor clothing store Patagonia is this rugged plaid button-up shirt. “Where I grew up [in Sweden], it’s big down south to go mountain biking and climbing,” he says. “I would probably wear this hiking, but that will never happen,” he says with a laugh. “I hike in the city by walking around—that’s my hike.” Instead, he envisions wearing the top with jeans and boots for an urban stroll.

Patagonia men’s Wanaka down jacket, $349

“This would be great for when I’m walking my [Doberman pinscher],” notes Lundqvist of this waterproof insulated jacket. “She’s pretty big and needs a lot of exercise. My wife usually takes her out, but I get the night shift. It gets a little colder at night, so you need a good jacket.”

Patagonia windproof fingerless gloves, $50

Though these fingerless fleece gloves are designed with fishermen in mind (the open tips provide dexterity for tying and casting lines), this city slicker plans on using them during chilly nighttime dog walks. “They’re not the best looking gloves, but they’re warm and I can grip the leash,” explains Lundqvist.

Patagonia men’s Nano puff vest, $129

“I like wearing vests, especially in the fall when it’s not that cold out, but it’s still a little chilly. It blocks the wind a little bit, but your arms are still loose,” enthuses Lundqvist, who appreciates that this style adds warmth without the bulk. “I’d probably throw on a hoodie under this.”

Icebreaker Quantum Hood zip-up, $119, at Icebreaker, 102 Wooster St between Prince and Spring Sts (646-861-2523, icebreaker.com)

“This is perfect for going to the gym and sitting on the bike for five or ten minutes before I start working out,” says Lundqvist, who slips on a form-fitting performance hoodie from New Zealand merino clothing company Icebreaker. “You can even slip your iPod in the front pocket.”

Icebreaker short-sleeved Cadence jersey, $130

Another piece ideal for biking, this merino-wool-and-spandex jersey naturally wicks away sweat—although as Lundqvist points out, it has another built-in cooling mechanism. “I like things with a zipper at the top so you can unzip it to cool down as you warm up.”

Icebreaker Ace long-sleeved crew-neck shirt, $80

“I like small details,” says Lundqvist, noting the pop of color on the shoulder of this running shirt. And there are plenty of nuances to appreciate about the garment: For one, that vibrant strip is actually reflective piping. There’s also a pocket on the back for stashing money or an ID, and a loop in the neckline for stringing your iPod cord through. “This is good for when I’m lifting at the gym,” assesses Lundqvist. “It’s got good stretch.”

Nike Dri-FIT short-sleeved running shirt, $44, at the Shop at Equinox, 568 Broadway at Prince St (212-334-4631, equinox.com)

Lundqvist discovers plenty of gym basics—including this staple sweat-wicking tee—at Equinox’s petite shop on the ground floor of its Soho location. “I like that it’s long in the back, and the lightweight material is perfect,” he enthuses. When asked if he’s worried about developing sweat stains on the unforgiving white fabric, he quips, “You should be sweaty when you leave the gym. I don’t care if I’m sweaty—I never think like that. I usually work out in our team gym anyway, so it’s just a bunch of guys in sweats.”

Lululemon Run: Response shorts, $68, at the Shop at Equinox

Lundqvist is a fan of Lululemon’s men’s line of athletic apparel, which he wears both at the gym and while relaxing at home. “They’re just comfortable,” he says, picking up a pair of the brand’s running shorts. “The thing about workout gear for me is it needs to function; it’s not that important to me that it looks great.”

Equinox Orange Label Active sleeveless crew tank, $58

“Even though I’m not that great of a tennis player, I try to look like a tennis player so I have a mental advantage when I show up,”says Lundqvist, who favors traditional whites on the court. “Normally, I like to wear a three-button polo, but I could play tennis in a shirt like this; the shoulders are more free, so it’s easier to serve.”

Nike Dri-FIT Sphere tee, $50

You might be hard-pressed to find Lundqvist wearing this bright blue T-shirt on the tennis courts. “Roger Federer always looks really sharp and classic—that’s more my style,” he says. “I’m not like [Rafael Nadal], and this shirt is definitely Rafa. But once in a while I’ll mix it up with something like this.”

Fjällräven Oban jacket, $299, at Fjällräven, 262 Mott St between E Houston and Prince Sts (212-226-7846, fjallraven.us)

The first thing Lundqvist slips into at Swedish brand Fjällräven’s only stateside store is this water- and wind-resistant jacket, fashioned from tent fabric. “This I could wear on my way to practice,” he declares. “A lot of the guys wear T-shirts and sweatpants and they’ll ask me, ‘Where are you going after practice?’ I tell them, nowhere! I just don’t like to wear sweatpants.”

Darn Tough merino-wool hiking socks, $18, at Fjällräven

“You should never underestimate [the importance of] socks,” cautions Lundqvist. “I grew up skiing and if you had the wrong socks you would freeze right away.” Perhaps he should have had a pair of these high-density knit styles while hitting the slopes in his youth. “My dad was a ski instructor and he always told us to wear thick socks, but after just 20 minutes, my brother and I would be sitting inside drinking hot chocolate.”

Fjällräven 30-liter Vintage bag, $200

Although Lundqvist grew up in the ski resort town of Are, Sweden, he hasn’t hit the slopes since he started his hockey career in 2000. “It’s easy to get into an accident,” he explains. “Especially me—I remember myself as a good skier and then I’d go out there and do stuff that I should not be doing. If you come back with a broken leg, there would be a lot of upset people.” As such, this roomy backpack is more of an aspirational item for Lundqvist until he retires. “If I were to go skiing again, I would bring this bag and stuff it with hot chocolate, coffee and a bag of brownies,” he says, pointing to the compartments on either side that seem destined for thermoses. “My mom always had brownies and hot chocolate waiting for us after we went skiing.”

Fjällräven Fjällglim shirt, $140

Lundqvist envisions pairing this insulating cotton-flannel button-up with a leather jacket for some unexpected edge.

Fjällräven Ripa jacket, $599

“I love when you wear a suit and you feel the tightness in the shoulders,” says Lundqvist. “I feel like when I put it on, it straightens my back.” It’s perhaps why the close cut of this hunting jacket earns major points in the goalie’s book. “I like the high collar in case it’s really windy,” he adds.

Docksta Sko Patrik slippers, $43, at Fjällräven

Lundqvist can represent his native country by kicking around in these Swedish-flag clogs. “Maybe I’d wear these on my terrace,” he ventures. “I’d barbecue, have people over and walk around with the flag on my feet.”





Thank you to reader Debra for the link to this article! If you would like to see pictures of the items mentioned above just follow the link below:

http://newyork.timeout.com/shopping-style/shopping/1917997/rummaging-with-henrik-lundqvist

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Henrik Lundqvist Wants You to Use a Good Shampoo






Here is a direct link to a quick video Q & A with Henrik from ESPN. He has a message to all who admire his hair and would like to replicate his look:

http://a.yfrog.com/img18/9022/u43.mp4

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Henrik Lundqvist on Stefan Liv: "I will miss him very much"




Henrik Lundqvist, a former national team colleague of Stefan Liv:

"It was always great fun to see Stefan with the Three Crowns.
He was a fantastic person and a good teammate. We were actually last summer in Gothenburg and we had as much fun as usual. I will miss him very much."


Thanks to reader Anna for the photos of Henrik and Stefan Liv. This was such a horrific tragedy. RIP to all who were on the flight.

Henrik Lundqvist Visits Firehouse Video Interview




Where was Henrik on 9/11?

That Henrik Lundqvist was in Sweden with his teammates with the Frolunda Indians on a bus to a preseason game when one of his teammates got a text message that read, "Manhattan is on fire."


http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=587737

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Henrik Lundqvist Posed Shirtless for Calendar in Sweden in 2005









http://per.cafe.se/chockutvik-in-pa-bara-skinnet/

Henrik Lundqvist to Appear at the NHL Store 9/8/11

The NHL has announced that Henrik Lundqvist and Brad Richards will appear at the NHL store on Thursday at 4PM.

The NHL store is on 47th and 6th.




I think he will be participating in a Q & A with Brad Richards.



Henrik Lundqvist Will Know "Half the Arena" During Game in Sweden


By Andrew Gross


Life is pretty good for Henrik Lundqvist, who celebrated his bucolic wedding in the British Virgin Islands this summer with 32 close friends and family and is now a month shy of his seventh NHL season, during which he’ll turn 30.

Always optimistic and rarely flappable, the photogenic Rangers goalie has good cause to be excited for 2011-12. Given the addition of top-line center Brad Richards and the retention of last season’s developing core, Lundqvist rightfully believes he’ll be backstopping the best Rangers squad of his career.

"Last year, we were a pretty solid team," said Lundqvist, who will be among the Rangers touring several New York City Fire Department houses today and greeting family members affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at a reception at the World Trade Center site. "Now, with Brad, we have a little more edge to the team, there’s more skill here in the lineup."

Still, Lundqvist said what pleased him most during the off-season was the re-signing of restricted free agents Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle, Artem Anisimov and Mike Sauer to multi-year deals.

Training camp opens Sept. 16 but Lundqvist and a majority of his teammates are already going through daily, hour-long informal practices.

They do so knowing a repeat of last season’s first-round playoff ouster will now be considered a bitter disappointment, not a building season.

"We should have higher expectations than last year," Lundqvist said. "I think we’re a better team now than last year."

Certainly, Lundqvist and the Rangers will be a more visible team, between the season-opening games in Stockholm, Sweden, the exposure through HBO’s "24/7" of playing in the Winter Classic and the partially-renovated Madison Square Garden.

Plus, they’ll play Lundqvist’s former team, Frolunda, during the preseason in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Sept. 30.

"It’s very special," said Lundqvist, who’ll play against his twin brother, Joel. "I have a lot of friends on that team, a lot of guys I grew up with. They already told me how they’ll celebrate when they score."

Lundqvist said he would purchase about 25 tickets but laughingly added, "I’ll know about half the arena."

Yes, life is good on the cusp of what should be the Rangers’ best season so far with Lundqvist.






http://www.northjersey.com/sports/129283013_Lundqvist_says_Rangers_built_for_success.html


Friday, September 2, 2011

Henrik Lundqvist Was "So Happy" To Get Married; Doesn't Mind Questions About Life



New York Rangers Henrik Lundqvist, Brian Boyle and Wojtek Wolski dined with journalists at TriBeCa restaurant Locanda Verde on Wednesday night, where Mr. Lundqvist chatted about the New York fashion industry and his recent wedding, a few weeks before the start of the team's season.


Mr. Lundqvist, who lives in Hell's Kitchen, had just returned from his native Sweden, where he spent most of the summer. "Before I moved to New York, my life was in Gothenburg," he said. "When I go back [there], it's too quiet. I love it for the first couple of weeks, but then I just want to come back to New York."

The team's season ended in April, and it begins again in October. Tying the knot, Mr. Lundqvist said, was a highlight of his time off: "I was so happy. We kept [the wedding] small, thirtysomething people, just our closest friends, and a week in the British Virgin Islands. My wife and I have been dating for a long time, so it was nice to just do it."

The athlete—who noted that hockey still doesn't have quite the same following in the U.S. as baseball does—was enthused about reuniting with his pal and teammate, the fashionable Sean Avery. "We have different styles," he noted. "He reads a lot, he interned at Vogue. I wouldn't do an internship like that—that's probably not me. I like to dress up, but I don't know as much as he does about fashion. I wear, like Tiger of Sweden."

Mr. Lundqvist said he's used to being asked about sports, but he doesn't mind questions "that are more about experiences or life." When asked the secret to a happy marriage, the athlete mulled it over. "She's very supportive me, and I try to be very supportive of her," he said. "We also have a lot of fun together. But that's a tough question!"


Lets hope the media is paying attention and starts asking him those questions about experiences and life. The King wants to impart his wisdom on the people. Get on that, media.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904716604576544793300069296.html