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New Swedish Henrik Lundqvist Interview
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- Everything feels very new but also very inspiring. I already enjoy both the guys and the organization, says the Swedish goalkeeper star to Sportbladet.
It has been known for several months that Henrik Lundqvist will leave New York - the kingdom since the autumn of 2005 - after fifteen years - and next season will instead play with Washington Capitals.
But for many, it was only when pictures of the Manhattan icon on the ice with the new teammates, in Caps uniform in the gym Iceplex in Arlington, a few weeks ago appeared on social media that the realization sank in for real.
That's really true, as well. "King Henrik" is no longer a Ranger. He's a Caps player.
To some extent, it was the same for the 38-year-old star himself, it sounds like when we reach him during a short break between workouts
.
- It has been very new, it feels a little special. But it is also very inspiring. I already enjoy both the players and the organization. And hockey-wise it has gone well, both physically and mentally. I feel refreshed, he says.
- If I learned to find?
Haha, yes. I think it's easier, and above all, faster, in DC than in New York. And the training facility, which I really like, is not that difficult to find.
Henke is currently back in New York, where his daughters still go to school and where the family will continue to have their base, but he will soon return to the American capital for new informal sessions with parts of the new team.
- We are only around ten who are training together right now. Many are still scattered around the world waiting to be told what is happening and when we will start playing again.
Ovechkin, has he appeared?
- No, he's not in place. So far, only those who live in Washington all year round, or have children in schools in the city, participate in the training.
But you have compatriots Hagelin and "Bäckis" to keep up with anyway?
- Yes, most recently we stayed, the whole family, at Hagelin's home. Very Nice. We played together in New York for several years and he is the same, "Hagge". He's still flying on the ice, he has that speed. But as I said, I also know "Bäckis" well. It's fun to train and hang out with him. Overall, I like the guys I have met so far, it feels like a really nice group of players.
Due to the covid pandemic, the training - even the unofficial ones that take place in Capital's Iceplex - takes place in very special circumstances.
- It's kind of like during the playoffs this summer. We are practically in a bubble. Only we players and those who work in the hall can be on site and we are tested every other day, says Henke. Another peculiar fact:
Neither Lundqvist nor anyone else knows when the season they are preparing for will start.
- No, we are still waiting for information about what will happen. Just wait.
It does not sound completely ideal, you have the image that you have always planned your training to be in the right phase in different parts of the season?
- Well, I do not know. It is clear that it would be best if there was a clear date to aim for, but now it is like this. It is the same for everyone, not just in the sports world. This has become the year when you have to wait and see. So for now, it feels like it's just driving as hard as it can.
Yes, all future rulers of Washington DC will have to endure the onslaught of winter. New President Joe Biden will not be installed until the end of January - nor will King Henrik be allowed to settle into his new throne until, at the earliest, in that crank.
But then both quickly learn to show where the so-called cabinet should stand.
https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/hockey/a/JJnE2X/jag-trivs-redan-med-bade-killarna-och-organisationen
Monday, November 16, 2020
Henrik Lundqvist Wants to Compete to be Washington's Starting Goalie; Plans to Return to the Rangers After he Retires
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- I will be a part of Rangers for the rest of my life. Both I and they have been clear about that. That's how it will be, he reveals to GP. In addition: We are talking about American elections, money and a return to Frölunda HC.
The phone is really rumbling. Henrik Lundqvist is sitting in the car and when he presses down his right foot, the powerful V12 in the exclusive car answers immediately and penetrates the conversation.
He's on his way from Manhattan to New Jersey, where the temporary training rink is located.
This is where he, along with a bunch of shooters, grinds his form ahead of the NHL season that could start in host city bubbles early next year.
- This is a new chapter in the final stages of my career. It feels very inspiring, actually. We weighed very much in the decision. How the situation is with the team, about the chance to play, who was the coach and everything else. We checked every single box - and it felt good in the end, he says.
Will return to Rangers
But he also reveals another thing about the future, the future that comes after his stay in Washington.
- This is a chapter, when I go and test this. But I'll be a part of Rangers for the rest of my life. In one way or another. Both I and they have been clear about that. That's how it will be.
So you have a job ready in Rangers the day you put the skates on the shelf?
- Yes, it will be the role they want it to be, Henrik reveals.
He develops:
- Then I do not know if the role will be small or if there will be something more. It is further ahead. It's timing again. It's not here and now - but I feel that I will somehow be "connected" to Rangers forever after so many years and all the people I got to know in the club, from owners and down.
He still lives with his family in Tribeca, Manhattan, when the Washington Capitals only opened their training facility the other day.
Schools in New York are partially closed.
- We have done well here in Manhattan. But in Brooklyn, some schools are half closed, so there will be homeschooling half the time and the rest of the time on site, says Henrik.
This spring, when the Lundqvist family traveled home to Gothenburg from a closed New York, father Henrik ran a lot of home schooling with his daughters Charlise and Juli, who had turned eight and five years old.
Were you good as a teacher?
- Haha, no. I can not say that. I did my best, but felt that I was not enough sometimes. Joke aside… it actually worked well. The difficult thing was the time difference, when we were in Sweden, says Henrik - who had to teach his own favorite subject, mathematics.
The children Charlise and Juli are bilingual, although they prefer to speak English when playing with each other.
- But when we were home for so long this summer, the Swede also clicked for Juli. Suddenly everything fell into place. They are mushrooms - and absorb everything…
At the beginning of October, Henrik Lundqvist signed for Rangers rival club Washington Capitals - and will next season be a teammate with, among others, Alexander Ovechkin Nicklas Bäckström and Carl Hagelin.
He has visited the city, even danced in the streets with his daughters in a clip that Mrs. Therese filmed and Henrik posted on his Instagram.
- We are going there again next week, but have not found any accommodation yet. We have focused more on the area. Then we'll see how much we will be there. We do not really know the plan for next season. If they run host cities, we're only in Washington for a week, then you're away for two weeks and then back for a week. You get to take it a little on bounce with everything nowadays…
First impression of Washington?
- It's a nice city! Pretty easy to get around, I think. Everything is pretty simple if you compare with New York and Manhattan. You can be in training in seven to eight minutes - and I'm used to sitting in the car for 40 minutes at least… or 45 minutes if you drive legally.
But there should be a vacancy in Washington in January - when will President Donald Trump move out?
- Then it's probably someone else who will move in ...
Have you followed the election?
Yes, it's hard not to follow! So much has happened in the last five months. Corona, different movements, the choice. It has been a lot for the American people at the same time. I hope that it can settle down a bit and that people can find a little more faith in the future and harmony. It has been quite messy for various reasons…
Have you noticed the unrest in New York as well?
Yes, before the election, many boards were nailed up for windows. People were worried about riots if Trump won. They did not want the windows to be smashed like last summer when there was a riot. Of course you notice it. But now it was Biden - and it was a very good energy in the city last Saturday when it was ready. People sang and were happy. It's just what you want. That the United States should return to being a little more "united" again. That is what the country has been good at in the past. To be together and be strong for the nation. It has been very divided at the end, says Lundqvist.
He mentions corona and at home in Gothenburg, his brother Joel has just recovered from a covid-19 infection.
- I think we have managed, in fact. We were very sick in March - and I thought I had it. But then I had no antibodies when I was tested during the summer… there were very many around us in New York who had it. I hope for the vaccine so that people can start to see the light in the tunnel. We need it. Little positive energy.
People hate to see Lundqvist's new helmet
Speaking of Instagram, Henrik Lundqvist posted his new helmet the other day. With stars, a bald eagle, Capital's club badge and Capitolium - and of course painted by Smålander David Gunnarsson, or DaveArt as his nickname is. The artist has adorned many goalkeepers' helmets over the years.
- He's incredibly good, David. We have worked together for many years now. We wanted to weave everything together - and he is cruel at coming up with details. It feels good to me, says Henrik.
The reactions online were not long in coming.
Do you read any reactions when you post on social media?
- Sometimes I check a few reactions, I do. But I do not know what the feedback has been this time…
Many people say that it is fantastic - but that they hate to see it.
Hehe. Yes, it still is. I sometimes find myself feeling so new. I've been through it so much in my head that I'm ready for the next chapter, but I've also been working on it for quite some time, that it would end here in New York. Many fans have become accustomed to me being here for 15 years and being a part of the organization - and suddenly I'm not. It takes some time to get used to it, maybe…
Does it happen that you take the wrong exit when you go to the gym in New Jersey - and are on your way to Rangers training rink in Tarrytown?
- Yes. I actually missed one of the first few weeks. Then I sat in my mind somewhere else. Then I realized to myself that I was on my way to Rangers' training rink - and not to New Jersey. But it has only happened once so far!
After 15 seasons in the New York Rangers, he was bought out for three million dollars, or 26 million Swedish kronor. A normal 38-year-old had probably said thank you and hello and put his career on the shelf. But not Henrik Lundqvist.
He's not done with hockey.
- I have put a lot of time and energy into analyzing where I am somewhere, how I feel about the sport, what I appreciate about the sport. And feel that it's still fun. Fun to compete. I still think it's fun to get up to the rink every day to train and to get better. I know it's in me too. The last six months of the pre-season was a very tough situation that affected me and my game. If I can get a good situation where I am mentally in the right place and know the conditions in a good way, I think I can play at a high level. That's what I'm working on right now. It feels like a great challenge too.
Money has never been a driving force in recent years?
No. Somewhere I am extremely grateful for what has been. I have already earned the money - and now the sport is in focus. Or, the sporting has always been in focus ekonomiska but the financial comes into play during your career. You have certain contracts that are important for your career. But in the situation I am in now, it is only the sporting aspect that is most important. The loss I got when I left Rangers I got again. It was plus or minus zero on the contract I had, says Henrik Lundqvist.
In Capitals, the Swedish goalkeeper veteran will fight with 23-year-old Russian Ilya Samsonov for the place in the goal. Some believe that Lundqvist is picked as a mentor… but then they have never seen the Swede at a training.
- I will compete! Then I get to do the best in whatever role it becomes. But I will compete. I will want to play. Of course, Lundqvist says decisively.
He develops:
- They have also said that in the end it is about winning matches - and we will see how many matches I stand. He is a young and very promising goalkeeper that Capitals has - and I will work with him and maybe help him a little. But at the same time we are both there to play.
In your head, are you entering the season as number one?
- I only focus on what I can do. Then it is up to them to decide what role it will be. There is nothing I can demand or know before. It's about coming to camp and playing well - and then taking the chance when I get it. This is where my focus is, says Lundqvist.
For 15 years in the world's best league, he has seen the role of goalkeepers change.
- This season there will be many matches in a few days, so you can not unlock being first or second. It goes more and more in that direction, that the team plays two goalkeepers. It's not like my first eight or nine years - when I played 70 games in one season. That time is a bit over, I think.
On the Capitals, Lundqvist finally gets to play with the guy who scored the most goals on him during the NHL time. For that, the Russian Alexander Ovetchkin has actually done.
- I'm probably the goalkeeper he's played the most against in 15 years, so it's not so strange! But of course, he has always been a threat over the years. Now we will fight together - and it will be interesting, says Lundqvist.
In connection with the transfer to Capitals, he joked about not staying in the goal in training when Ovetchkin will shoot direct shots.
- He has among the toughest shots in the league. Then he is very good at hitting the target all the time. It does not matter how he gets the pass. He always manages to push it away - and on the failure he has on the club, it is difficult to read as well. If you look at many of his goals, it's not the cross. The shot goes through the goalkeeper. Through arm and leg or body. You misjudge the shot a little because of the failure he has on the club. His shot stands out - and that's why he's scored so many goals. I do not even know if there is anyone else who can shoot like he does. He has a soft club, plus he is very strong - so it becomes a catapult when he shoots, Lundqvist says a little admiringly.
Nice to avoid that shot - except in training?
- Yes, he can train that shot without a goalkeeper! Uh, it's going to be a good workout. Having one of the best shooters against you in training is only positive, says Lundqvist.
Capitals includes Tre Kronor friend Nicklas Bäckström and former Rangers player and friend Carl Hagelin. Of course, it provides extra security.
- We have already been seen on site when we were there a few weeks ago. I know both well. It will be fun to play with "Hagge" again and fun to be with "Bäckis" for more than a few weeks, as it has been with the national team. He has an incredibly important role in Washington. He is one of their absolute best players.
And the chance to win is with Capitals?
- I believe in us. I believe in the team, I believe in the new coach Peter Laviolette. They have won, but are still hungry and want to do it again. They have the routine. It is incredibly difficult to predict before a season. But it feels good, says Lundqvist.
The goal?
- It's to win. But it's at least as much about the trip, that you enjoy on the way there. There is a lot to feel fun about with the trip, with the group, with the matches. Sure, you have an end goal that drives you, but there is much else on the way there that drives you as well. And there Washington felt very attractive.
You have learned to enjoy over the years?
- Yes I think so. I reflect more over the years - and take fewer things for granted. I've learned that.
Fans of Frölunda HC dreamed this summer that Henrik Lundqvist would be bought out by Rangers - and then come home and end the circle with his brother Joel in Scandinavium.
Was that thought ever - seriously?
- Yes. All the cards were there. All the different scenarios were involved when I started thinking about the whole situation. Somewhere in the big picture it was there, Henrik reveals.
I have never closed the door to Frölunda - and I will never do so until the day I leave.
However, it was not Frölunda - and Henrik adds:
- A lot is about timing in life, what happens and what opportunities open up. I have never closed the door to Frölunda - and I will never do so until the day I leave. It will always be in the big picture. Now was not the right time.
Brother Joel will swear now - because you're opening that door again?
- Lol. He's got some questions about it, I know. Now there is nothing to discuss, I'll play here. So there is nothing to ask him, laughs Henrik.
The Lundqvist family has not yet decided where the future residence will be. Whether it stays in the US or in Sweden.
- It will be New York for the family and Washington for me. What matters is a bit about what the season will look like. We are not trying to look so far ahead, but right now we are very happy with the situation and life.
You do not long for home to parents and your brother in Gothenburg?
- Family and friends are what you miss the most when you live abroad. That's what drives you home. To be able to come home and meet everyone and socialize. It is also incredibly wonderful to be able to do it every summer.
And one thing is for sure: Gothenburg is home.
The Lundqvist family has a home by the sea outside Kungsbacka and a large apartment in central Gothenburg.
- We have a fixed point in Gothenburg, we have. We like to be at home on the west coast. It would not be possible not to be at home. It is incredibly important to us. We feel that it is important for the children as well. To get the Swedish culture and meet our family and friends. It would never be possible not to have it, says Henrik Lundqvist.
Saturday, November 7, 2020
New Henrik Lundqvist Swedish Interview; Says the "Rangers will always be a part of me, for the rest of my life"
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After 15 seasons, Henrik Lundqvist's time in the New York Rangers is over.
- There have been tears and many conversations with the family. But now it just feels good, he says.
In an exclusive interview with SportExpressen, he tells about the family's plans for the move to Washington, how his daughters reacted over dad changing teams and about his recharging with tennis matches against John McEnroe.
Henrik Lundqvist moved to New York at the age of 23 in the summer of 2005.
It's been a very long time ...
Göran Persson was then Prime Minister and George W Bush President. Then there was neither Twitter nor Instagram and Bianca Ingrosso was ten years old.
Henrik Lundqvist became the audience favorite directly in Madison Square Garden. He then broke rows of club records, was named the league's best goalkeeper and played a Stanley Cup final.
At the end of September, the New York Rangers chose to buy out Henrik Lundqvist from his last year on the contract. Just over five weeks later, the news came that the 38-year-old Swedish goalkeeper was ready for the Washington Capitals.
Recently, Henke himself posted a TV clip, while training in a rink in New Jersey, wearing his new red Washington shirt.
Henrik and his wife Therese were also visiting Washington recently with their children: Charlise, eight years old, Juli, four years old.
Then Henke offered a happy TV clip as he danced around on a sidewalk in the city with his daughters. Ovetchkin is not allowed to practice direct shots
In Washington, he is also reunited with his old teammate Carl Hagelin and national team mate Nicklas Bäckström, with whom Henke won World Cup gold in Cologne 2017.
Henke suddenly becomes a teammate with Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin. They have talked to each other and Henke has joked and said that Ovetchkin will not be allowed to train direct shots at him.
Lundqvist has met Ovechkin and Washington in five hot playoff duels over the years, the Capitals won the first two, but the Rangers the last three in 2012, 2013 and 2015 - and all of these went to a seventh decisive match.
Then Henke Lundqvist cracked the rivals from the US capital. Otherwise, over the years, two players have been most successful against Lundqvist with 24 goals in Swedish over the years, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin
Now Lundqvist and Ovechkin are teammates.
Capital's plan is for the promising Russian Ilya Samsonov to become the first goalkeeper - experienced Lundqvist will be a challenger.
It will take time to get used to playing in Washington. Is that so for you too?
- Hehe. Yes, it is clear that this is a new chapter, absolutely. But I have put a lot of time into this whole process, so that I can really come to what feels right for me.
How did you think?
- It is clear that I began to realize when my time in New York came to an end. It already started when Rangers decided on a "rebuild" two years ago, when it would begin construction in the long term. My first 13 years we went to win and it was here and now that mattered. This has not been the case in recent years. Then it has been more of a future thinking.
Are you disappointed with that?
- My dream and goal has always been to end my career in New York. But then things happen out of your control, which cannot be influenced. Then it is important to be adaptable. Then I have to say that I just feel grateful to Rangers for everything I have been a part of that club.
A club change like this can be like a divorce, it's not like you're a little angry and want to show the Rangers that they were wrong to let you go?
- No, that's not the case at all. I think this part of my career, this new chapter - it has nothing to do with Rangers. This is just about myself and what I wanted to do in a new situation.
- I had a long relationship with Rangers. But it was time for me to take the next step. When I think back on my 15 years in New York, I just feel joy and gratitude. I feel a good feeling. I think back on everything I have experienced and everyone who has supported me.
- I will always appreciate my years in New York. Rangers will always be a part of me, for the rest of my life. I feel very proud of it. It also makes it easier to take the next step. But I do not remain in what has been. Now it's history.
How was it that you would continue to play hockey - did you think of quitting?
- Yes, all the cards were on the table. It really was a process to go through. That was not easy. It started with the fact that I had to get used to the idea that it would be something completely new. I went I went through a lot of different thoughts. But in the end I came to the conclusion that I still think it's so much fun to play. I was not ready to quit.
"An adventure for the whole family"
He says there were many conversations at home in the Manhattan apartment with his wife Therese and the children. He really wanted to involve the whole family.
- We wanted to do something that felt good for the whole family. This is going to be a challenge and an adventure for all of us.
How did your thoughts go when choosing a team?
- We had four or five good option. We went through carefully what would fit best. What did the team look like? Where did I have a good chance to play a lot? Where anywhere was the best chance of winning?
- Washington was really the best option. An exciting team with many good players and a good coach.
And then there was the practicality. It's close to New York. Our children will stay in school in New York, the family will stay there. But we will have a home in Washington as well. Now we do not know at all what the game program will look like, so we have to take it a bit on the spur of the moment.
Judging by your dance steps, did you like Washington?
- Yes, haha. We had a great weekend there and visited, among other things, the home of the Hagelin family and the Bäckström family. We looked at accommodation. We thought it was exciting and an adventure - the whole family.
But what do the girls, who have always cheered on Rangers, say about Dad changing teams?
- Yes, hehe, it's not entirely easy, especially not for the oldest, who has been to so many games in the Garden. So this has been a process for them too. But now they just think it's an exciting one. Right now, it's just positive emotions. Then I'm 38 years old, I have a one-year contract. We are not talking about several years.
But Washington, after all the playoff duels over the years - have not the Capitals been Rangers' worst rivals?
- No, if you play in Rangers, then it is the teams in the New York region: Islanders and New Jersey, who are the worst rivals. And Philadelphia. Not Washington.
But how did Rangers fans take this?
- I can say that, when everything happened a few weeks ago, I received such support and love from so many places that it was absolutely fantastic. It was absolutely overwhelming to take it in. It was very emotional.
Tears?
- Yes, it has been extremely emotional. It was tears, absolutely, for both me and the family.
He says that the feelings are joy and gratitude - and a little sad that the time in Rangers is over and he describes the last few weeks.
- There have been tears and many conversations with the family. Then this was Rangers' decision. I accept that. But my love for the sport makes me want to continue playing and no one can blame me for that. I feel very straightforward in this situation and I only feel positive energy from the fans in New York.
But if you keep a clean sheet against Rangers next season - then fans will not love you as much?
- Haha, maybe not. But again, now it's the Capitals that apply to me. Then it will be a special season and probably matches completely without an audience. But it is clear that it will be very special to meet Rangers.
If you had won that Stanley Cup final against Los Angeles in 2014 - would you have played on then?
- It is clear that the desire to win is a big driving force, but then I still think it is so fun to play. Now I drive on my own with some coaches in a rink in New Jersey. I've been doing that for a month. I feel well prepared.
How do you charge more?
- I play some tennis. Against John McEnroe among others. We usually do it from time to time. Sometimes I even played against his brother Patrick as well.
But you and John McEnroe (!) - two extreme winners - how are you? Do you argue if the ball has been inside or out?
- Haha, no then, it's calm.
Hm ... is that really true?
- Yes, they are still incredibly good. So there will not be many matches when I play against them. It will be more like training. Very good training.
Dreaming of doing like Raymond Bourque
When I tell you that I was in the decisive final in Denver in 2001 when Raymond Bourque won the Stanley Cup after all the years in Boston and club changes to Colorado, Henrik becomes curious.
- Well, you were there. I watched the match on TV in Sweden, says Henke and laughs when I tell about the reporter next to me in the press gallery who cried so the mascara ran so she became completely striped in the face.
Do you daydream about making a Raymond Bourque?
- I have had so many thoughts all autumn. I thought a lot about what I want to do in the future, even after hockey. But hockey remained what I want to do now. I am open to much else after my career and I have contacts in New York and a lot that interests me. But right now, my focus is on doing my best for the Washington Capitals.
- Then the Stanley Cup is the goal. But just as much the journey there. I am very much looking forward to playing again.
In 2020, the world has been shaken by the corona pandemic - how has your year been?
- It has not been normal for anyone. Everything is upside down. But you have to find some form of normal feeling and security in everyday life. We were at home in Sweden a lot during the summer. Now the children are back in school, which is open in New York. You can only try to make the best of it.
https://www.expressen.se/sport/hockey/varit-tarar-och-manga-samtal-med-familjen/
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Henrik Lundqvist: "Rangers wanted to move on - but I was not done"
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The dream was to end his NHL career where it all began - in the New York Rangers.
Instead, Henrik Lundqvist was forced out and now the 38-year-old tells SVT Sport exclusively about the process.
- When Rangers said they wanted to move on, I felt "but I want to play more", I want to win, he says.
Barely two weeks ago, the Swedish goalkeeper star was bought out of his contract with the club he represented for 15 seasons, the New York Rangers.
Now the moving load goes to division rival Washington Capitals where he will compete for the first spade with Russian 23-year-old Ilya Samsonov.
- They have a young goalkeeper in Samsonov who was very good in his first season. Part of my role will be to support and help him, but it really does not matter if he is old or young, as goalkeepers you have to work with each other. But I go there because I want to play and I want to win.
That is the goal, says Lundqvist in an exclusive interview with SVT Sports Marie Lehmann.
- I am incredibly grateful for everything they have given me in 15 years in New York, but I like hockey and felt that I was not done.
When they said they wanted to move on, I felt "but I want to play more". I want to fight, I want to try to win.
Then you have to try to see yourself in another team's jersey, he continues.
Lundqvist - often called "King Henrik" in New York - has for many years been clear that he wanted to end his career in Rangers where he became an audience favorite and club icon.
That will not be the case.
When asked how he managed to let go of that dream and move on, he answers:
- It took a few months this spring, I can say. It was incredibly tough, I will not stick it under a chair. It was a period where I got to work on my thoughts. It is reminiscent of losing a family member or close friend, it becomes a mourning job. That was actually it for me, a mourning job, says Lundqvist and continues:
- There are different steps you go through but in the end I ended up in a phase of gratitude and just felt "thank you for everything". Then I could also relax and look ahead. But it took time.
https://www.svt.se/sport/ishockey/henrik-lundqvist-4
Saturday, October 10, 2020
Friday, October 9, 2020
Henrik Lundqvist Signs with the Washington Capitals
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Henrik Lundqvist signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals on Friday.
The 38-year-old goalie was an unrestricted free agent after he had the final season of his contract bought out by the New York Rangers on Sept. 30. He was 10-12-3 with a 3.16 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage and one shutout in 30 games (26 starts) last season.
"For a few weeks now, I've been doing my homework on all different scenarios and options for me, and I have to say, the Capitals, they checked every box," Lundqvist said. "When it comes to a team that understands winning, a great coaching staff and an opportunity to play some games were the main factors for me.
"But there's so many things that goes into this decision for me, starting with a chance to win. I think at this point in my career, that's the most important thing. I want to have a chance to win. I know few guys on the team. I've played against a lot of the guys for so many years. I have the most respect for them. I'm just very excited and grateful actually to join them. I've been skating for a few weeks now, and I'm just really excited to take on this new challenge."
Lundqvist fills what was a need for a veteran to back up 23-year-old Ilya Samsonov. The No. 22 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, Samsonov pushed Braden Holtby for playing time as a rookie last season by going 16-6-2 with a 2.55 GAA, a .913 save percentage and one shutout in 26 games (22 starts).
"I see it as we've got a good young goalie and we've got a great experienced goalie," Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. "Our goal as a team and as an organization is to win games this year and compete for a championship. I would expect him to come in and compete as hard as he can and the coaches will make the decision based on how guys are playing and us winning games and what's been best for our team."
Selected by the Rangers in the seventh round (No. 205) of the 2000 NHL Draft, Lundqvist went 459-310-96 with a 2.43 GAA, a .918 save percentage and 64 shutouts in 887 games over 15 seasons with New York. He is sixth in NHL history in wins, seventh in saves (23,509), eighth in games, ninth in starts (871), ninth in time on ice (51,816:19) and 16th in shutouts.
Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy voted as the best goalie in the NHL in 2011-12 and has been a finalist for the award four other times (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2012-13).
"I had a good phone call with [captain Alex Ovechkin] already," Lundqvist said. "... His record speaks for itself, but it's going to be fun to be on the same side, I'm not going to lie. Just to be around guys like that, you learn a lot and you appreciate what they've done, and hopefully we can create something special here moving forward."
With the emergence of 24-year-old goalies Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev, Lundqvist started four of New York's final 29 games last season, finishing with the fewest games (30), starts (26) and wins of his NHL career. Lundqvist started and lost the first two games against the Carolina Hurricanes in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers when Shesterkin was unfit to play, but Shesterkin returned for Game 3 with Lundqvist as his backup in what was his last game with New York.
Lundqvist is 61-67 with a 2.30 GAA, a .921 save percentage and 10 shutouts in 130 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He helped the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, when they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
"In the springtime, it was a pretty tough time for me," Lundqvist said. "I kind of saw where this was going a little bit, so I had time to reflect and think about a lot of different things. I reached a level of so much gratitude towards the Rangers. Honestly, I feel like gratitude is the best feeling you can ever have. I appreciate everything they've done for me over the 15 years I've been there. They were ready to make a few moves and take the next step in their rebuild and moving on. I had my time to deal with that mentally because this was a big thing. I'm not going to lie, it was a really big thing for me to say goodbye because it was such a long relationship. So when this happened last week, I was in a really good place because I had time to work on that.
"It also made it easier for me to really take in all the love and support I felt during last week, and I was kind of blown away with all the support I felt. And I also felt ready for the next step because I realized how much I love the game, how much I love to compete, and then looking at the different options I had and looking at Washington and how excited I got thinking about going to Washington. Obviously it's been a pretty emotional week, but it's exciting times ahead here. That's where we're at."
https://www.nhl.com/news/henrik-lundqvist-signing-update-news-status/c-319288122?tid=281072352
Monday, September 28, 2020
Joel Lundqvist said Henrik Lundqvist Will Not be Returning to Frolunda
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But there will be no more gold hunt for the Lundqvist brothers in Frölunda. In recent months, there has been speculation that Henrik Lundqvist, who has one year left on his contract with the New York Rangers, will be bought out from the NHL club he has represented since 2005.
If that happens, a return to Frölunda could be relevant for Henrik Lundqvist. But that will not be the case, according to Frölunda's team captain Joel Lundqvist.
- No. That door is closed. I can say that. It will not be, says Joel Lundqvist to HockeyNews.se after Frölunda's 2-0 win over Djurgården at Hovet.
- There is a lot that comes into play in such a decision. But I get that question constantly and just to kill speculation and other things. That will not be the case, says Joel Lundqvist.
https://hockeynews.se/articles/16155/
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Henrik Lundqvist returning to New York amid uncertain Rangers future
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Lundqvist’s future as a Ranger is unknown, though the strong likelihood is that he has played his final game in the Blueshirt. President John Davidson, who had a private chat with No. 30 immediately upon landing at White Plains following the club’s elimination by Carolina and return from the bubble in Toronto, has stated definitively that the team would not carry three goaltenders next season.
The face of the franchise essentially since his rookie 2005-06 season (though Jaromir Jagr most certainly at least shared top billing that year), Lundqvist started only one of the team’s final 19 regular-season games, sliding behind 24-year-oId’s Igor Shesterkin and Alex Georgiev on the depth chart.
The Swede did get the call for the first two qualifying round matches against the Hurricanes while Shesterkin was sidelined with a groin issue, and allowed seven goals on 71 shots in the 3-2 and 4-1 defeats. But his streak of 129 consecutive playoff starts that began with the third game of the 2006 first round against the Devils came to a close when Shesterkin was in nets for the elimination 4-1 loss in Game 3.
Lundqvist has one more year on his contract that carries an $8.5 million cap hit. If the Blueshirts buy out the goaltender, they would save $3 million on the cap while adding $5.5 million of dead space for 2020-21 and $1.5 million of dead space for the following season. The Blueshirts already are carrying nearly $7.495 million in dead space into the 2020-21 offseason.
The buyout period starts on either Sept. 25 or on the first day of the Stanley Cup final (whichever is later) and runs through either Oct. 8 or six days after the Cup clincher (whichever is later). The goaltender and Davidson are expected to meet at some point to resolve the situation.
If, as all signs indicate, the Blueshirts go forward with a Shesterkin-Georgiev tandem, it is unknown whether Lundqvist would retire or seek to continue his career with another NHL team. His return to New York effectively closes the door on the possibility that he’d play in Sweden for Frolunda with his twin brother Joel.
Should Lundqvist, whose 459 victories rank sixth in NHL history, opt to retire, the Rangers would of course receive massive help in their cap situation. It is believed the entire $8.5 million would be wiped off the books, though the Devils were charged $250,000 per when Ilya Kovalchuk retired from the NHL to return to Russia in 2013 with 12 years remaining on his contract.
The goaltender market will be flooded this offseason. Braden Holtby is a pending free agent, as are Robin Lehner, Jacob Markstrom, Corey Crawford, Cam Talbot and Thomas Greiss. If Lehner remains in Vegas, Marc-Andre Fleury is likely to be available in a trade. Matt Murray is on the trade market. Arizona could opt to deal Darcy Kuemper. Who knows about Jonathan Quick and the rebuilding Kings? There are decisions to make. In this sense, nothing has changed from March and nothing has changed from August. But the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Labor Day beckons and Henrik Lundqvist is returning to New York.
https://nypost.com/2020/09/02/henrik-lundqvist-returning-to-new-york-amid-uncertain-rangers-future/
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Friday, July 3, 2020
Henrik Lundqvist is Returning to New York Today
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Much is still unclear ahead of the NHL's playoffs this season, and many have been waiting for the last to head over to North America. Henrik Lundqvist travels back today. He left New York in March, after having less playing time than any other year in the NHL.
"Yes, how do you go into this," he says, quieting.
- You have not believed that it will happen, that you should go back and play in the middle of summer. But it seems to be the case now, says Lundqvist.
Together with a bunch of other NHL, KHL and SHL players he has been on ice for two months now. There have been camps and other things in Slottsskogen in Gothenburg, where we meet him before departure back to the USA.
Unclear future
The only thing the NHL players really know for sure is that they must be in place on July 10 when the team's training camper starts.
- For so many years, there has been a pretty clear plan for how things will happen, what will happen in the future. But I think there are a lot of question marks right now, says Lundqvist.
- The Corona situation means that our situation as a hockey player can change quite a bit.
Henrik Lundqvist warms up, changes, laces the goalkeeper skates and threads on the skate protectors in a small dressing room in Frölundaborg. The key was hidden above the door of a pipe and the few showers that fit have surgical blue shower curtains in plastic. He refills his water bottle in one shower.
The environment is as far from a dressing room in the NHL as you can get. And at the same time so close to the foundation of Swedish sport.
The skate protector has wheels
- When you are at home in the summer we often change here and then you have to go on the asphalt. And I have pretty sharp skates so I go through the skate protectors in a few days and then the rails will be destroyed. So I saw some guys who had these roller covers and thought "can I test". They are flexible, you can still say, says Lundqvist.
He rolls in full gear against training this morning. Finding new roads. Towards a future that is uncertain.
After the playoffs, Henrik Lundqvist has one year left on his long contract with the New York Rangers. Having held the position as an obvious first-timer for nearly his entire NHL career, this spring he wasn't even always switched to a match.
- My own situation with Rangers after 15 years is a situation you have to deal with after this playoffs. See how they think and ...
The thought pause becomes long.
- With that also comes a lot of questions about my future and yes ... everything around.
https://www.svt.se/sport/ishockey/henrik-lundqvist-valdigt-manga-fragetecken
Thursday, June 4, 2020
New Henrik Lundqvist Hockey Sverige Interview
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Henrik Lundqvist goes to an uncertain future as an NHL goalkeeper. He tells hockeysverige.se about his tough season, the thoughts for the future and how he looks at a possible return to Frölunda one beautiful day.
- I have to wait and see where the New York Rangers stand, says Lundqvist.
Much indicates that the NHL season 2019/20 season will end in the summer. The last word has not been said there and now it is also starting to raise voices about the risks of players with underlying illnesses. What everything lands in remains to be seen. Many players await and follow the development of a restart of the NHL a little "day by day".
- This situation is so unique and everything is really strange. I'm very short-term here and take it week by week, Henrik Lundqvist tells hockeysverige.se and continues:
- I've been training, trying to keep myself physically fit and technically working with pieces on the ice. If they then push the button and say that we should drive, I can more mentally focus on it, but right now it is more to work with the body, the technology on the ice and keep going. Then we'll see what it becomes.
- It has been a very different time for us, but then I think it has been for most people. I am not trying to ponder as much, but have taken this time to have as good a time as possible with the family back home in Sweden, obtaining energy, energy and positivity.
- I had a pretty heavy time for a few months on the spring edge so the focus now is to exercise and feel good.
How do you think the status of the players will be if the league starts in the summer after a fairly long break?
- It has already been discussed that the first week will be important, that you do not then take-driving. It is important that you get "softened into it" with regard to groin and so on. Often when you run a camp and start skating a lot, it's clear that it will be a bit of a shock to everyone's bodies.
- Then we have different conditions. We train well here in Sweden and many of us are on ice. Not everyone has been able to go there in the United States. Now they will start to open up the training facilities so you will be able to start training there again so I think the guys will be well prepared when it is day time.
Have you trained pre-season during the break or have you run like during a regular season?
- I would say that it feels like something mid-season and mid-season. I keep going, work out on ice, work with pieces of technology…
- At the same time we have no real start date, so I see this break as an opportunity to work a little more with technology and find a good feeling on the ice. Then I would say the body feels very good right now.
There are different times in the world. Henrik Lundqvist's Manhattan and New York have been hit hard by covid-19. If the NHL starts this summer, he and his family have decided that his wife and children will stay home in Sweden.
- If there is a game this summer I will go back myself. The family will remain in Sweden. Obviously it will be very different to be there and away from the family.
- We have just ended conversations with doctors and the team because there are many pieces that will match tests and everything like that when we come over, but also about the procedures we will have when we go to the rink to keep everything in check.
- It won't be this usual to slip in for a morning workout, but there are things we have to do before we set out in the dressing room or on the ice, which is something we just have to make sure every day. There will be some new conditions, but this is also what is needed in such a situation.
When the family will move to New York again is unclear.
- The summer holidays will soon start for the children so they stay in Sweden. So it has always been during my 15 years over there. The focus is still there.
- Then we still do not know when we will play or how long we play. The idea is that they will come over sometime in August no matter what our season looks like.
Just as Henrik Lundqvist said earlier in the interview, he has had a pretty tough season, especially in the spring when he got sparse with playing time.
- I think I had a period in November, December which felt very good. Then we were in a situation the first half of the season where we had a very young team and tried to find our game. The structure got better and better.
- Then I think we as a team actually started to play better and better in the second half of the season. It was in the same vein that I started playing less and less.
- I feel that I did what I could control, train hard and tried to have a good attitude. Then happened the stuff that was beyond my control. Obviously it was not like this I had painted that the season was going to be, but so it was.
The stuff outside Lundqvist's control was that the Russian goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin, by many seen as the Swedish throne heir, was called up from the AHL and gained more playing time and confidence. Meanwhile, Rangers second Russian Alexandar Georgiev got a lot of chances - at "Henkes" expense. From February until the season was paused in March, Lundqvist only made three games from the start.
- For me, it's just a war on. I don't know how they look at the playoffs, whether it will be a playoffs, whether to stand or not. What I can control in this situation is training and preparing myself.
How has the dialogue about your role in the team been during the season?
- During the first half there was really no dialogue but I drove on. Clearly it was a change as we were three goalkeepers. Then there was some dialogue about what this would look like.
- I started to understand how the situation was going to be and I began to prepare mentally for it because it was not something I had experienced earlier in my career. Managing the situation as well as I could, it was a challenge.
He has only positive things to say about his Russian colleagues.
- They have worked well and are good guys. Since then I have had the most discussion with Benoît (Allaire), the goalkeeper coach. At the same time, we have been on ice together and pushed each other and worked well.
You have contracts with the New York Rangers even in the coming season, how are your thoughts moving forward?
- I'm just thinking this summer. After this season, there will be a discussion with Rangers about how they look to the future. Longer than that, I cannot plan at the same time as I realize that the conditions are a little different now.
- That's where I am today. Then I get to think about it when I know how Rangers think.
Are you thinking about a club change or haven't the thoughts gone so far yet?
- The focus is here and now on the playoffs. In the end, it is then they who decide. I have to wait and see where they stand.
Your brother Joel Lundqvist gets to sign a new contract with Frölunda all the time, waiting for you to come home so you both get to play together. He never seems to stop, when will you come home and play in SHL again?
- (Laughter) I don't know. There are many pieces I weigh in and that should feel right for it to happen. I have always said that I never close any doors to Frölunda.
- With that said, I still have more to give away so we can see how everything is going to take place this summer, but also next season. I take it year by year. In this case, I take three, four months at a time. Then there may be new conditions. Then I'll have that discussion then.
So will it be for Joel to sign another contract soon?
- He certainly will. He is happy with life and with Frölunda. He thinks it is fun with hockey and that is how it begins, so with the joy of the sport, concludes Henrik Lundqvist.
https://hockeysverige.se/2020/06/04/henrik-lundqvist-stanger-aldrig-nagra-dorrar-till-frolunda
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