Facts - Henrik Lundqvist
Name: Björn Henrik Lundqvist.
Age: 35 years.
Occupation: Ice Hockey Goalkeeper in New York Rangers.
Family: Wife Therese Andersson and daughters Charlise and Juli
Living: in Manhattan, New York.
Salary negotiator
First contract with the New York Rangers (two-year) 2005-2007, average annual income:
$ 1 879 000.
Second contract with New York Rangers (one year) 2007-2008, average annual income:
$ 4 250 000.
Third Contract with New York Rangers (Six Years) 2008-2014, Average Earnings:
$ 6,875,000.
Fourth Contract with New York Rangers (Seven Years) 2014-2021, Average Earnings:
$ 8,500,000.
One should not really be impressed that someone appears on time. Not even when one of the world's biggest sports stars does. Nevertheless, when Henrik Lundqvist steps into the Carl Larsson Room, a large sun-lounger lounge decorated in Venetian Renaissance style at Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, it is not possible to leave at 08.00. He is relaxed, fires off a million dollar league and greets with first names on each of the King teams.
"Last time I met King, had been at home with me in New York three years ago.
The stylists and cosmetics have a quiet working day, it turns out. Henke is ready to stand in front of the camera without any major preparations. And without any major post-processing, too, for the part - in spite of the arla morning, Henke sees to be right from the latest version of Photoshop.
"I'm just glad I've kept your teeth. I'm lucky to have a mask.
The hockey bag has been on the shelf during the summer. After twelve seasons as undefeated first goalkeeper in the New York Rangers and a Swedish World Cup Gold, Henke could take a good conscience holiday. He and the rest of the family Lundqvist, consisting of wife Therese and daughters Charlise and Juli, have been together since then.
"We usually stay for a few weeks in New York before we go home. It's nice to be in town without a lot of schedules and the must. We just hung around. Then there was a trip to the Hamptons before we went home to Sweden. And there we have hung on the west coast. We have two accommodations in Gothenburg, an apartment in town and a house in the archipelago.
Does Gothenburg feel more home than Åre where you grew up?
- Yes. We moved from Åre when I was eleven and since then there have not been many trips back. Daddy is from Gothenburg, Mom from Stockholm. Now they live in Båstad, so that's where we go unless we go to Gothenburg. Home for me is Gothenburg when we are in Sweden. That's where I have most friends and that's where I built a life before I went to the United States.
You still say "home" when you talk about Sweden.
"That's hard, what's home. My life is in New York, but friends and family are in Gothenburg. I do not know what's home. Where do you go that border? But I think both feel at home, it feels like getting home to Gothenburg and feeling like coming home to New York. In New York I am nine to ten months a year, the kids go to school there and it is still where the base is in some way.
I guess the kids feel most at home in New York?
- Nja. Their grandparents live in Sweden. I do not know, it would be interesting to hear them respond to it, actually. I have never asked that question: "What's your home?" I'll be back there.
Regardless of the answer to that question, the daughters father became the entire Swedish people's hero when Tre Kronor won the World Cup final against Canada this summer. An experience that Henke had to share with the twin brother Joel Lundqvist, to the everyday team in Frölunda. The match became a rush of historical measurements, the third period was over and, after 20 minutes, none of the teams had scored goals and punishments were waiting. William Nylander missed the first, but Henke saved the Canadians' dito. Nicklas Bäckström put Sweden's second and Henke followed up with a new rescue. Oliver Ekman Larsson scored on the third, and when Henke made another save, the gold was close. Gabriel Landeskog burned Sweden's fourth, but it did not matter because Henke spiked again in total and saved the gold to Tre Kronor.
"I'll never forget that World Cup Gold. It was a great experience. In particular, my brother was involved. I remember when we stood on the ice and kept each other and just saw each other in the eyes. There were so many emotions that came back. Thoughts from childhood, when we were seven years old and started with hockey there in Åre. We started playing once in a while to stand there, together, with a World Cup gold. It was very emotional.
Double SM Gold with Frölunda, Olympic Gold with Three Crowns and NHL Goalkeeper Prize Vezina Trophy. How high do you value a World Cup Gold?
- Unbelievably loud. Then it's hard to measure it against other stuff like Olympic gold or SM gold. But it's definitely on top of stuff I've ever been with, so much I can say. Again, to do it with my brother. I had not played with him for twelve years since I left Frölunda for the New York Rangers.
What does your relationship with Joel look like today?
- We will talk when we can. There is a time difference and both are properly occupied. But we try to talk as much as possible, often when I'm in my car on my way to training, he usually goes home and is going to have a dinner. It's time to try to keep it up, but it will happen sometime a week.
Have your different positions on the ice removed some of the competition between them?
- I think so. We are very supportive of each other all the time. We were doing downhill skiing and tennis when we were children, but both felt early that it was fun to play together. Since we had different positions, we were pleased with each other's successes. We have never met ourselves to each other. We have tried to make the most of it and make the other work a little harder. There has never been any competitive feeling at all. We have rather inspired each other. You have wanted to do things at least as good as the brother always.
Since 2005, Henrik lives in New York, where he belongs to the Rangers fans under the name of King Henrik. Until recently, he and the family lived in Hell's Kitchen but now lives next door to Robert De Niro down in southern Manhattan.
"We have lived uptown for eleven years, but now we have moved down to Tribeca and have a good time. There is not much to see purely tourist-like, so it's mostly the people who live there in the district. Family life works fine there. It's quiet and nice and we have everything we need at walking distance.
How is it best to have young children in Manhattan?
- Yes, but it goes well. Better than I thought. Especially now when we moved to Tribeca. But, of course, it's definitely not the way I grew up. Some of me are nervous about how it will be, while another part of me feels that it's great to get them this opportunity. There are different cultures, styles and people everywhere. It's awesome that they get to experience all that. I myself grew up in Åre. Could there have been 1,500 people living there? My children have a completely different playing field. But it feels good that we go home in the summer, so that they get a feel for Sweden and where we come from.
Do you enjoy the US?
- Yes I do. It suits me. It's so big and so much of everything. I feel comfortable in the United States and there are great opportunities not only for sports, but for everything. At the same time, New York does not really feel like the United States. It could have been anywhere on Earth, it's just a single big blend of everything in the world. I like openness.
Do you notice any difference since Trump took over as president?
- It's very divided. More divided now than I ever experienced. I remember when Obama was elected. It was such a big moment, you felt it in the air; the first black president. I remember the speech Obama held in Chicago, there was a future trust. When Trump was chosen, it was a completely different feeling ... I'm not so keen on politics, but it's clear that I'm following the news feed and discussing a lot with friends. As I said, I feel that it is a very fragmented society right now.
In Henkes new neighborhood in Tribeca is his own restaurant Tiny's and the Bar Upstairs. Krogen is just one of the 35-year-old's many side projects. In addition to Tiny's, he faces out for, among other things, the Swiss watch label TAG Heuer, Shampoo Head & Shoulders, the car manufacturer Porsche and the Bread & Boxers underwear brand, where he is also a partner.
Are there more industries you are curious about?
- I like being creative. But right now I do not know, it can obviously be from restaurant to fashion.
How do you choose partners?
"I start by looking at what the company does and what it stands for, but also what we can do together, more than promoting a brand. With TAG Heuer, for example, we have done everything possible: We tested cars here in Sweden and made a plate in Central Park which became amazing. We also made a boxing event last year, where I had to meet old boxing legends. Things that make it fun and rewarding.
After over 700 matches in the world's toughest ice hockey leagues, there is a reason to look into the future. The contract with the New York Rangers expires in four years.
How will you replace the adrenaline kicks from hockeyn the day you end?
- It will be hard. Very difficult. I know I will not live under this hard press when I finish. Some days I think it will be nice not to live with this. For example, in the summer, I can feel how relaxed I am. But after a while you begin to miss it. You are looking forward to feeling the adrenaline pumping again. I'm just thinking about the World Cup when everything was at stake. It is no longer at its tip than at such a stage; It even went to punishment. You're so close to a boyhood dream you can only come. Finding something equivalent in the future will at least be difficult.
How does it feel?
"It's about finding something else you're passionate about, but it's obviously never going to be comparable to hockey. This has been my life since I was seven years old. Can not find anything that replaces it to 100 percent.
Where would you say you are in your hockey career right now?
"I've played twelve years in NHL and five years in Elitserien, so I've been a professional for 17 years. Therefore, I can not say I'm in the middle of my career because I can not play for 17 years. But I do not want to say I'm at the end of my career ... No, it does not feel good at all. Hopefully, I have many years left. It remains to be seen. I have to be able to deliver all the time. The memory is short, it does not matter what you have done before, it is here and now that applies. You must prove that you deserve to remain.
What sacrifices have you been made to stay at this level for so long?
"When I was younger, I left all the time on training. I never went with a polar on fun trips, but it was the team in question. At the same time, that was where I had most friends, Hockey was my world, so it was never a tough decision for me. But now, the last 15 years, the great sacrifice is all the time I put on mental preparation, which can sometimes be difficult. But I know I need it. I'm loading rock hard, which requires a lot of me. I need to be alone and think through the technical pieces. It requires an engagement that can go beyond others. Everyone does not have to spend that time, but I need it to be able to perform.
What does the family like about it?
My wife knows how I am. When it's match, I'm not the chat-type. Is it home match, I have my routines; I sleep in the afternoons and do not want to be disturbed. It will be a quick hello when I meet the family on my way from school or kindergarten, and that's nothing I'm thinking very much about. I have to keep focus. But I've gotten better over the years.
Do you never thrive on hockey?
- Yes, that's clear. It takes a lot to get back after your holiday. The day you feel you do not have the energy to reload, that's when it's time to do something else. There is a lot of humor in the psyche. Physical and technical is a big part, but the mental bit is so incredibly important there. To keep pushing. But right now I have that energy. I'm not only enjoying the hockey itself, but also everything around; travel, preparation, media support. If you can not enjoy that piece you will be fucking tired.
Is it worth it?
"Previously, I did not realize how much time I put on hockey. But now that I have children, I realize how much I'm gone when they're sad because you're gone and so. Then you start to realize how much you travel. But even during home games, I'm home, but not yet. I am preparing and am mentally absent.
Do you have very bad conscience?
- Both yes and no. That's my job, this is what I want to do. And I still think we have managed to combine hockey and family life quite well. Just like all other parents, you get a little pussy. The advantage for us is the summers, where we have a lot of time for each other. But when the season begins, hockey begins first. You can never call in and say, "I'm sick today." Or say to the family: "Now we are going on a weekend somewhere." When you drive, you will run on nonstop.
Are you planning to finish the NHL career?
"My focus is to play this contract. I have four more years to go. You can not look too far, you take years for years and try to make the best of it all the time.
So, many sports stars say. Is it a mental strategy?
- Yes exactly. Not to plan too far. Then we'll see in four years. Can I still deliver? Have I sucked? Does the body work? I often get the question of what to do after hockey, and it's still quite open. I like to learn new things. I like to be inspired. But, exactly what I'm leaving, I'm leaving quite openly.
It is time for a change of clothes in the hall of the Grand Hôtel. Henke tests a pair of white sneakers from the Swedish brand Tiger of Sweden, a brand he has always liked and now gives him some sense of home.
"Tiger has always been on a corner, whether it's been jeans, costumes or sneakers. It's fun with Scandinavian fashion when you're in New York. If someone asks about the brand, one gets an opportunity to mention Sweden, and it feels good in some way. I did not think so much about the way I lived in Sweden, but as soon as I moved abroad I became proud Swedish and wanted to promote everything from Sweden.
How is fashion interest different?
"I'm an altar when it comes to clothes. We always travel in suit with Rangers, so it will be a lot of suits. Stephen F and Ralph Lauren are my favorite designers when it comes to suits.
Are your teammates as style-oriented as you?
- There's a big difference now, when I got there twelve years ago. I'm not going to say it was a culture clash, but ... Then people did not care so much and I was the younger guy that the elderly probably thought was quite silly. But then Hockey was much more American cleanly styled, today it is more European.
How?
"That year, when I arrived, it was wearing slim ties and tight suits, which I had used to. And it's clear that I got a lot of cocks ...
What for girls?
- It was a guy, Jason Strudwick (then defender in New York Rangers). I thought it was equally funny to look at him like him on me. He had grassy shirts. He was an incredibly beautiful person, but he had no further interest in clothes. Anyway, he always called my ties for flosses. "You can tie one of your flosses to tie." That's what sat down, haha.
Henke settles down in a velvet sofa. In front of him, a magnificent breakfast is raised, ordered by the King team at the request of Henkes American pr team from NHL: " You need to provide him breakfast at 9 AM. " Reminds you of the huge device around the brand Henrik Lundqvist and which employs a wide range of people. Something hard to imagine when you sit opposite the rare humble Åre-son with the light-blowing Gothenburgskan.
This week you were once again voted one of the world's best-dressed athletes, this time by Sports Illustrated ...
Henke bumps into a jug and happens to pour coffee all over the breakfast table. He can not lift his legs and the white shoes under the table turn brown.
- Oh. Now it's coffee everywhere. But best dressed was, yes. Style is well very personal? What I think is nice maybe someone else thinks ugly. It's hard to rank style. Can you even rank style? I do not know if it goes. That's fun with New York, you see so many different styles all the time. And everyone owns their style in some way - nobody's out, nobody's in.
It feels like you questioned that question. How do you do not get a hybrid?
- Haha. You can not take yourself too much seriously. Sometimes it goes well and sometimes it's going bad. When it comes to awards, just laugh at it. You will not be a better person by joining a best-dressed list. That's not what matters in the end. The most important thing is to have people around who value the right things. Family and friends one likes and who takes down one on earth. But it was harder when I was younger. The first time it started to go well, you got it in another way. Today I am much safer. Still, sometimes I can get up with that exiting feeling when everything is amazing and I'm about to live my dream, but that balloon can break as fast. It has been learned over the years: you can not be too high when you're doing well and you can not be down in the basement when it's bad. One must try to find a comfortable level where one can tackle the feelings in both directions.
Do New York Rangers have rules on how to behave outside the hockey field?
- No. But as soon as you say with a team, you belong to an organization like any one, and it has value bases for which you will be an ambassador. They assume that you take care of yourself. We will get a folder explaining how to behave. It is important to follow it. You are so much more suited as athletes today, but also as a public person. So as social media works ... just go out and eat or take a beer, you'll be guarded in another way. It's extremely big difference now when I started playing in New York twelve years ago, there was not Instagram for example. Everything can be misunderstood on social media and images are so incredibly important to people today. I think that even people who are not public are aware.
As a result, I've seen you appear in social media during Håkan Hellström's concerts. Are you a fan?
- Absolutely! I have always listened to Håkan. The last two years I played in Sweden, type 2003, I started to listen a lot. But especially when I went to New York, it helped to listen to Håkan when I missed Gothenburg. Nowadays I listen to Håkan every match day.
You play your own guitar. How is it going?
"It rolls on, but I wish I could spend more time on it. It has not been so much lately, now I have two daughters who take a lot of time, but I play as fast as I get time.
Do you still have the band The Noise Upstairs with John McEnroe? On Youtube you can see you play Sweet Child O 'Mine by Guns N' Roses, among other things.
- Yes! But now it was a long time ago. Me and McEnroe were actually seen recently and said it's time to play soon. He's flying all the time, and I'm off too much so it's hard to get it together. But there may be something in the winter. The best part is to book a game so we have to book a rep.
Time runs out, just like the coffee on Henkes breakfast table. An agent, fleeing from New York, sticks his head and announces that Henke has to move on. And you really should not be impressed that someone takes time. Not even when one of the world's biggest sports stars does. But it is not possible to make it happen when Henrik Lundqvist says:
- Have you got everything? Otherwise, can I call you next week so are we talking more?
Does it work?
- Absolutely. Give me your number.
The king team is packing up. Outside the hotel is a 2 x 2 meter lifeguard from NHL, along with the American agent, waiting for a polished Porsche Panamera. A few days go. Hidden call rings. It's Henke, he's out driving.
Are you still in Sweden?
- Jadå, now I'm in Gothenburg.
What are you driving by car when in Sweden?
- New Porsche Panamera. It's nice. But it has become more family oriented now in recent years. Some bigger cars, but there are some fun left in the garage as well. I love cars. I drive 45 minutes to practice every day so there will be a lot of time in the car. It's comfortable to sit there and philosophize.
In addition to cars, what do you do?
"What I make the most of is definitely travel and accommodation. It is expensive to live in New York, we have two accommodations in Sweden and a house in Miami. I am not a nerd, so travel and accommodation, I mostly do that.
How much will you be in Miami?
- Not much. It is mostly mom and dad and Therese and the children who use the house. But that was the whole idea when we got it. My schedule is so full, so unfortunately I can not be there so much. But the rest is having a good time there, it's fun.
What do you have for money?
- A healthy relationship, I would say. I grew up in a middle-class family where you would be afraid of money. But I can still get away with things we were in. I have a long-term plan but can live at the same time.
The engine is turned off and a car door opens on the other side of the handset.
- Just a moment. I have to think. I'll call you.
A few minutes go. Henke thinks his Porsche Panamera is in a gas station somewhere in Gothenburg. Hidden number again.
- Hello again. Sorry, where were we?
Is it something you feel we have missed talking about?
"I would like to talk a little about my foundation.
Your foundation? Have you released your own makeup?
- Hahaha, no. So my charity organization: Henrik Lundqvist Foundation.
Right. Tell us about it.
"It is me and Therese who run the ship, together with a board that works full time to administer everything. It is primarily about child health. Recently, we included and financed the expansion of Ronald McDonald House in Gothenburg. It is a house next to Queen Silvia's children's hospital where families of sick children can live together during stressful periods of treatment, whether the hospital stay lasts for a few days, weeks, months or longer. So they do not have to get into a hotel. Then we work with children's hospitals in New York and the Dominican Republic as well.
How do you choose projects?
"I visited Ronald McDonald's house during the Frölunda era when I was 18 years old, it was incredibly touching me. Now I have my own children and I can not even imagine how it would be if they got sick. It's not just about financial support, but it's as much about giving the kids inspiration and letting them meet other people. In recent years, I have come and greeted on Christmas Day at a New York Children's Hospital. It's both tough and uplifting. The charity organization is by the way a thing I will work a lot with after the hockey career.
Do you have more projects going on?
- Yes! We are doing a charity match next summer together with Mats Zuccarello, my Norwegian teammate in New York Rangers, and the organization Right to Play. We will organize an outfit at Ullevål Stadium in Oslo. A Norwegian all star team meets a team that I and Zuccarello choose. There will be pop-up performances and we obviously hope that as many people as possible will appear. I've done several events in New York, so now it's fun to finally do something at home in Scandinavia. The whole game is about spreading knowledge and interest in children's health. To engage people, simply.
http://www.kingmagazine.se/artiklar/artiklar/20171016/bakom-masken-king-moter-henrik-lundqvist/
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