The Henrik Lundqvist Blog: Henrik Lundqvist Is On the Way Back to New York and His Hunger to Win is Still Strong

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Henrik Lundqvist Is On the Way Back to New York and His Hunger to Win is Still Strong

The beard may have had white hairs - but Henrik Lundqvist's eyes are still burning.

- The feeling I have now is the same as when I was twenty. Hunger to win remains.

The country's biggest hockey star is a busy man, especially the last weeks of summer in Sweden. The schedule is tokfyllt, everything goes into one. Holiday feeling, with swimming in the sea off the Onsala and quiet moments with family, is suddenly a memory that fades as quickly as tan.

- It has been an amazing summer. Every day, I thought it would be a weather forecast that said that everything was over. But it never came ...

Henrik Lundqvist is big nowadays. Almost on par with royalty. Everything he does will be rewritten, news, talk of the town. It does not matter if he is recording a new shampoo commercials, throwing a bucket of ice water over his head, trying to sell their delicious Manhattan apartment or buying a property on the West Coast.

- There is a new time, with twitter and completely different coverage. More mundane things suddenly becomes news, people write about it. Just media bit is something I have got used to. It goes in waves - and I've learned to live with it. I've got to bite the bullet look that closely.

Is it hard to be getting so much attention?

- Some things I had kept any more private, so it is. But we do our job, you journalists yours. Does just the facts, so fine. I often get a dialogue. Showing a respected journalist, I reply in the same way - and perhaps explains a bit more ...

The disappointment from the kitty in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Los Angeles Kings has settled - and the desire for hockey is back. Even if it's only August. Season with the New York Rangers will start with a camp about a month, but Lundqvist and family are already on their way back across the Atlantic.
Among other things, for an initial start-up meeting with the charity Henrik Lundqvist Foundation.
The family's apartment is not sold yet, but it does not worry.

- We're not moving until next year, so there is no rush. Our new home is being built right now. We have in any case not taken the help of the TV show Million Dollar Listing, haha. There is another guy I know who is going to sell the apartment.

After nine years in the big city of New York, the American club Rangers an equal place in Lundqvist's heart who has Frölunda.
You signed a mega-contract with Rangers until 2021 at Is not the risk that you will be measured - just sit on your butt and is satisfied?

- You do not have so many chances during a career of writing contracts! This is my fourth contract in the NHL. When I was younger, I often wondered how I would feel when I was 30 or 32 The hunger is there, just the same way. The difference is that I have more distance, not nearly as eager. I've learned something over the years!

You are smarter these days?

- Yep. You have to be a little smarter. Just in training, I can not tear as much, or in the same way as when I was younger. I do not go down as much, rehab exercise becomes more important, I might cool their knees after practice to get the swelling down ...
- I'm not 20 years anymore. I'm starting to realize it. If it turns out with a little more gray in his beard or a little more pain, that is the question …

Lundqvist smiles and scratches his the groomed stubble. He has been spared major damage in his career - but still played a part in pain.

- There have been repetitive strain injuries, touch wood. I have been taking cortisone in my knees for a few years. Just inside of the knee took a beating. I had inflammation around the bones in the knee - and hips have been like that. But the past two years has been totally okay!

Today my plane takes off. New York, via Stockholm.

A new season starts.
Ol 'blue eyes is ready.

So finally: What do you use shampoo - really?

- Haha, Head & Shoulders, of course. The real deal!

Oh! Never. Nothing else ... a bit more expensive as American Crew?

- Nope ...

Henrik Lundqvist ABOUT ...

Joel's younger brother ... all injuries:

"I really suffer with him, would have been a bit tough. He fights like phase, enters a good flow - and then something happens. As a brother, I feel with him. To reach its peak requires a continuous exercise, the body feels good. Do you have something that cuts were on the edge, it feels. If you miss three to four per cent at this level is the difference between playing at the top - or just okay. Joel has always been a warrior. He might surprise - and hold on until he is 40 years old! "

ALS ... Ice Bucket Challenge:

"It's amazing what impact it has had ... I felt that I wanted shirt and vest in my challenge. All three that I challenged John McEnroe, Loui Eriksson and Derek Stepan replied! My challenge ended with me both donated money and drove the ice bucket. "
.
.. Their own charitable organization, Henrik Lundqvist Foundation:

"We will have an event in New York in early September, mostly to boot. We will work with various organizations, I and my wife Therese. There are various children's hospital in New York, it's Food Bank which provides food to the homeless in New York, it's Ronald McDonald House here in Sweden. We will do different events, raise money and donate to organizations that we think are doing it well. "

… Coming season:

"It is always of commerce of new players. Dan Boyle, slopes, should be interesting. The body has become accustomed to the new game mode - and we were pretty damn close to winning the Stanley Cup. There were three overtime losses in the final. It was a nice trip to the finals - and many of the memories I carry with me. Like when we faced Pittsburgh and won Conference finals against Montreal. "

Two-year daughter ... Charlises language talent:

"Before we went to Sweden she spoke only English. But now, after two months in Sweden, the Swedish. It will be interesting to see if her friends in New York understands her. In addition, she looks at a Russian television series with a bear - and picks up things from there. We'll see if she is trilingual, haha. "

... Friendship with tennis legend John McEnroe:

"He hit me extremely easy when we play. Extremely! But it's fun. It's good training for me. Maybe not for him. But we tend to play music together, too. "