Henrik Lundqvist facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Henrik Lundqvist |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2023 | |||
Lundqvist in November 2022
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| Born | 2 March 1982 Åre, Sweden |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Frölunda HC New York Rangers |
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| National team |  Sweden |
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| NHL Draft | 205th overall, 2000 New York Rangers |
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| Playing career | 2000–2020 | ||
Henrik Lundqvist (born March 2, 1982) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. A goaltender is the player who defends the team's goal. He played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers.
Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy in 2012, which is given to the NHL's best goalie. He was nominated for this award in his first three seasons. He is the only goalie in NHL history to have eleven seasons with 30 or more wins in his first twelve years. He also holds the record for the most wins by a European-born goalie in the NHL. Because of his amazing play, the New York media and Rangers fans nicknamed him "King Henrik".
Lundqvist was known for his athletic style and quick reflexes. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023. Before joining the NHL, Lundqvist played for Frölunda HC in Sweden's top league. He won the Honken Trophy three times in a row there. In 2005, he also won the Guldpucken and Guldhjälmen, two major Swedish hockey awards. He played for the Swedish national team. He helped Sweden win a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Hockey Start
Henrik Lundqvist grew up in Åre, Sweden, with his identical twin brother, Joel. Even though skiing was popular there, the brothers chose ice hockey. Their kindergarten teachers even froze a small ice rink for them to skate on. Their love for hockey grew when their father took them to see Västra Frölunda HC play. Frölunda became their favorite team.
In 1990, Henrik and Joel started playing organized hockey for Järpens IF. One day, when a coach asked for a goalie, Joel raised Henrik's arm and said his brother wanted to try. In 1993, their family moved to Båstad to support their older sister's tennis career. Henrik and Joel joined a local team called Rögle BK. They were both noticed by scouts from Frölunda. In 1998, Frölunda invited them to join their junior team.
Professional Hockey Career
Playing for Frölunda (2000–2005)
After a good pre-season, Lundqvist made his top league debut in Sweden on September 21, 2000. He lost that first game. He got his first win in the next game, stopping 18 shots. His coach later said that Henrik should have played more games that season.
Lundqvist played for a junior team and then for the Swedish national junior team. He led the Swedish junior team to a fourth-place finish at the 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He then helped Frölunda win the Anton Cup.
In December 2004, The Hockey News called Lundqvist the sixth-best European prospect. During the 2004–05 season, Lundqvist set four new Swedish records. These included the lowest goals against average (1.05) and the highest save percentage (.962). He also had the longest time without letting in a goal (172 minutes and 29 seconds). He was named the Best Goaltender and Best Player in the league.
In 180 games with Frölunda, he had a 1.96 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. He led them to the playoffs four times. They won two championships in 2003 and 2005.
Becoming "The King" with the New York Rangers (2005–2020)
Starting in the NHL (2005–2009)
Lundqvist started his first NHL season in 2005–06 as a backup goalie for the New York Rangers. He made his NHL debut on October 8, 2005. Five days later, he got his first NHL win at Madison Square Garden. The New York Post gave him the nickname "King Henrik" on October 16. This was after he played great in a 5–1 win against the Atlanta Thrashers.
His first shutout came on October 17, in only his fifth NHL game. He became the first Rangers rookie goalie to get a shutout since 1985. Lundqvist finished his rookie season with 30 wins. This broke the Rangers' rookie goalie record of 29 wins. He was among the NHL leaders in goals against average and save percentage. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. He was also named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.
By his second season, Lundqvist was well-known as "King Henrik." On December 14, 2006, he played against his twin brother, Joel, for the first time in the NHL. They were only the third set of twins to play against each other in an NHL game. Henrik and the Rangers won that game. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy again.
In 2008, Lundqvist signed a six-year contract with the Rangers. This made him the highest-paid goalie in the NHL at the time. He became the first Rangers goalie to have eight shutouts in one season since 1970–71. He also became only the second goalie ever to have at least 30 wins in each of his first three NHL seasons. Lundqvist was named the Rangers' Most Valuable Player for five years in a row.
On October 1, 2008, Lundqvist and the Rangers won the Victoria Cup. In January 2009, he was chosen to play in the NHL All-Star Game. On March 12, he became the first NHL goalie to win at least 30 games in his first four seasons.
Becoming a Star and Stanley Cup Final (2009–2017)
On March 25, 2010, Lundqvist became the first NHL goalie to win at least 30 games in his first five seasons. He finished the season with 35 wins. In January 2011, Lundqvist was named an All-Star again. He played in the All-Star game on January 30. He also became the first goalie to stop a penalty shot in the All-Star Game's history. On February 17, Lundqvist got his 200th NHL win. On March 19, he became the first NHL goalie to win at least 30 games in his first six seasons.
On January 24, 2012, Lundqvist earned his 40th career shutout. After a great game on February 14, 2012, Rangers fans started calling his amazing play "Lundsanity." This was like the "Linsanity" craze for basketball player Jeremy Lin. On February 27, Lundqvist set another record. He became the first NHL goalie to win at least 30 games in his first seven seasons. On June 20, Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy at the NHL Awards.
On March 3, 2013, Lundqvist set an NHL record for most shootout wins. On April 3, he won his 268th game. This put him second in Rangers history for wins, behind only Mike Richter. In the 2013 playoffs, he had two shutouts in a row.
On December 4, 2013, Lundqvist signed a new seven-year contract with the Rangers. This made him the highest-paid goalie in the NHL at the time. On March 18, 2014, Lundqvist passed Mike Richter with his 302nd win. This made him the winningest goalie in Rangers history. On March 22, he got his 50th regular season shutout. This made him the Rangers' all-time shutout leader.
In the 2014 playoffs, Lundqvist set an NHL record with five straight Game 7 wins. On May 29, he helped the Rangers reach the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. This was the first time the Rangers had reached the finals since 1994. However, the Rangers lost to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
On January 31, 2015, Lundqvist was hit in the neck by a shot. He later found out he had a sprained blood vessel. He missed about two months due to this injury. Even with the injury, Lundqvist still got 30 wins for the ninth time in his career. The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy that season for having the best regular season record. Lundqvist led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2015 playoffs. They lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
On January 16, 2016, Lundqvist got his 20th win of the season. This made him the first NHL goalie to start his career with 11 straight 20-win seasons. He also became one of only three goalies in NHL history with 11 consecutive 20-win seasons at any point.
On November 1, 2016, Lundqvist recorded his 60th shutout. On December 31, he got his 390th career win. This made him the all-time wins leader among European-born goalies. On February 11, 2017, Lundqvist got his 400th win. He was the 12th player in NHL history to reach 400 wins. He was also the first European-born goalie and the fastest in NHL history to do so.
Later Seasons and Retirement (2017–2021)
On January 16, 2018, Lundqvist got his 20th win of the season. This made him the only goalie in NHL history to win at least 20 games in 13 seasons in a row. On March 7, 2019, he became the third goalie in NHL history to play at least 850 games with one team.
On October 3, 2019, Lundqvist earned his 450th win. This made him the sixth goalie to reach this mark and the second to do it with one team. He made 43 saves in that game, tying a Rangers record. On November 25, he got his 455th win, moving him to fifth place in all-time NHL wins. After the 2019–20 season, the Rangers had two younger goalies who were playing well. Lundqvist's contract was bought out on September 30, 2020. This made him a free agent for the first time.
On October 9, 2020, Lundqvist signed a contract with the Washington Capitals. However, on December 17, he announced he would miss the 2020–21 season. He had an irregular heartbeat that needed open-heart surgery. Lundqvist announced his retirement from professional hockey on August 20, 2021. The Rangers announced that they would retire his number 30 jersey. This happened on January 28, 2022.
International Play
 Lundqvist with the Sweden men's national ice hockey team. |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Sweden |
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| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Winter Olympics | ||
| Gold | 2006 Turin | |
| Silver | 2014 Sochi | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2017 Cologne/Paris | |
| Silver | 2003 Helsinki | |
| Silver | 2004 Prague | |
| World Cup of Hockey | ||
| Bronze | 2016 Toronto | |
| Inline hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2002 Nuremberg | |
Lundqvist has played more games for the Swedish national junior ice hockey team than any other goalie. He is 11th overall among all players.
At the 2001 World U20 Championship, Lundqvist helped Sweden finish fourth. He debuted for the senior Swedish team on November 10, 2002. He was the starting goalie at the 2004 World Championship. He was also chosen for the tournament's all-star team.
Lundqvist's most famous international moment was at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He led Sweden to a gold medal win over Finland. He had a 5–1 record in six Olympic starts. He holds the record for most shutouts in "best-on-best" hockey, with four.
In the 2017 World Championship, Lundqvist joined the Swedish team and played in all five remaining games. This included the final against Canada. Lundqvist played very well and helped his country win its tenth World Championship title. His twin brother, Joel, was the team captain.
Lundqvist played for Sweden again in the 2019 World Championship. Sweden finished fifth after losing to Finland in overtime.
Inline Hockey Success
Lundqvist also led the Swedish team to their first medal in inline hockey. They won gold at the 2002 IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship.
Personal Life and Interests
Family Life
Henrik Lundqvist is married and has two daughters.
Helping Others (Charity Work)
In 2009, Lundqvist became a spokesperson for the Garden of Dreams Foundation. This group works with Madison Square Garden to help sick children. Lundqvist hosts events and records messages for them. In 2012, he launched a clothing line called the Crown Collection. Sales from this line helped the charity.
In 2014, Lundqvist and his wife started the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation. This group helps children and families with health and education. They work with partners in New York City, Sweden, and the Dominican Republic. Lundqvist was a finalist for the 2014–15 NHL Foundation Player Award. This award recognizes players who do great charity work. In 2015, he was also a finalist for the ESPN Humanitarian of the Year Awards.
Hobbies and Other Ventures
Lundqvist is known for his style. In 2004, he was named "Best Dressed" in Sweden. People magazine named him one of the World's 100 Most Beautiful People in 2006.
Lundqvist used to play guitar in a Swedish rock band called Box Play. He still plays guitar in his free time. In 2013, he hosted a talk show on Swedish public radio called Sommar.
Broadcast Career
After retiring from playing, Lundqvist joined the MSG Network in 2021. He became a studio analyst for New York Rangers games. In 2021, he also joined TNT as a rotating studio analyst. He became a full-time analyst for TNT during the 2023–24 season.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1998–99 | Västra Frölunda HC | J20 | 35 | — | — | — | — | 2,100 | 95 | — | 2.73 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Västra Frölunda HC | J20 | 30 | — | — | — | — | 1,726 | 73 | — | 2.54 | .904 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 300 | 7 | 2 | 1.40 | .925 | ||
| 2000–01 | Västra Frölunda HC | J20 | 19 | — | — | — | — | 1,140 | 50 | 2 | 2.64 | .908 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.97 | .927 | ||
| 2000–01 | Västra Frölunda HC | SEL | 4 | — | — | — | — | 190 | 11 | 0 | 3.47 | .882 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | IF Mölndal Hockey | SWE.2 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 420 | 29 | 0 | 4.22 | .868 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Västra Frölunda HC | J20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | .840 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Västra Frölunda HC | SEL | 20 | — | — | — | — | 1,152 | 52 | 2 | 2.71 | .899 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 490 | 18 | 2 | 2.21 | .931 | ||
| 2002–03 | Västra Frölunda HC | SEL | 28 | — | — | — | — | 1,650 | 40 | 6 | 1.45 | .948 | 12 | — | — | 740 | 26 | 2 | 2.11 | .922 | ||
| 2003–04 | Västra Frölunda HC | SEL | 48 | — | — | — | — | 2,897 | 105 | 7 | 2.17 | .928 | 10 | — | — | 610 | 20 | 0 | 1.97 | .936 | ||
| 2004–05 | Frölunda HC | SEL | 44 | 30 | 8 | 3 | — | 2,642 | 79 | 6 | 1.79 | .936 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 855 | 15 | 6 | 1.05 | .961 | ||
| 2005–06 | New York Rangers | NHL | 53 | 30 | 12 | — | 9 | 3,112 | 116 | 2 | 2.24 | .922 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 177 | 13 | 0 | 4.41 | .835 | ||
| 2006–07 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 37 | 22 | — | 8 | 4,108 | 160 | 5 | 2.34 | .917 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 637 | 22 | 1 | 2.07 | .924 | ||
| 2007–08 | New York Rangers | NHL | 72 | 37 | 24 | — | 10 | 4,304 | 160 | 10 | 2.23 | .912 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 608 | 26 | 1 | 2.57 | .909 | ||
| 2008–09 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 38 | 25 | — | 7 | 4,153 | 168 | 4 | 2.43 | .916 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 380 | 19 | 1 | 3.00 | .908 | ||
| 2009–10 | New York Rangers | NHL | 73 | 35 | 27 | — | 10 | 4,204 | 167 | 4 | 2.38 | .921 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | New York Rangers | NHL | 68 | 36 | 27 | — | 5 | 4,007 | 152 | 11 | 2.28 | .923 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 346 | 13 | 0 | 2.25 | .917 | ||
| 2011–12 | New York Rangers | NHL | 62 | 39 | 18 | — | 5 | 3,754 | 123 | 8 | 1.97 | .930 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 1251 | 38 | 3 | 1.82 | .931 | ||
| 2012–13 | New York Rangers | NHL | 43 | 24 | 16 | — | 3 | 2,575 | 88 | 2 | 2.05 | .926 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 756 | 27 | 3 | 2.14 | .934 | ||
| 2013–14 | New York Rangers | NHL | 63 | 33 | 24 | — | 5 | 3,655 | 144 | 5 | 2.36 | .920 | 25 | 13 | 11 | 1516 | 54 | 1 | 2.14 | .927 | ||
| 2014–15 | New York Rangers | NHL | 46 | 30 | 13 | — | 3 | 2,743 | 103 | 5 | 2.25 | .922 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 1166 | 41 | 0 | 2.11 | .928 | ||
| 2015–16 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 35 | 21 | — | 7 | 3,773 | 156 | 4 | 2.48 | .920 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 205 | 15 | 0 | 4.39 | .867 | ||
| 2016–17 | New York Rangers | NHL | 57 | 31 | 20 | — | 4 | 3,241 | 148 | 2 | 2.74 | .910 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 775 | 29 | 1 | 2.25 | .927 | ||
| 2017–18 | New York Rangers | NHL | 63 | 26 | 26 | — | 7 | 3,503 | 174 | 2 | 2.98 | .915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | New York Rangers | NHL | 52 | 18 | 23 | — | 10 | 3,089 | 158 | 0 | 3.07 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | New York Rangers | NHL | 30 | 10 | 12 | — | 3 | 1,597 | 84 | 1 | 3.16 | .905 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 119 | 7 | 0 | 3.53 | .901 | ||
| SEL totals | 144 | — | — | — | — | 8,531 | 287 | 21 | 1.99 | .929 | 44 | — | — | 2,695 | 79 | 10 | 1.76 | .939 | ||||
| NHL totals | 887 | 459 | 310 | — | 96 | 51,816 | 2,101 | 64 | 2.43 | .918 | 130 | 61 | 67 | 7,935 | 304 | 10 | 2.30 | .921 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sweden | WJC18 | 4 | — | — | — | 240 | 9 | 0 | 2.25 | .939 | |
| 2001 | Sweden | WJC | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 419 | 13 | 0 | 1.86 | .928 | |
| 2002 | Sweden | WJC | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 419 | 15 | 1 | 2.15 | .906 | |
| 2004 | Sweden | WC | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 476 | 13 | 1 | 1.64 | .925 | |
| 2005 | Sweden | WC | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 510 | 20 | 1 | 2.35 | .894 | |
| 2006 | Sweden | OLY | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 360 | 14 | 0 | 2.33 | .907 | |
| 2008 | Sweden | WC | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | 283 | 14 | 0 | 2.97 | .911 | |
| 2010 | Sweden | OLY | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 179 | 4 | 2 | 1.34 | .927 | |
| 2014 | Sweden | OLY | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | 360 | 9 | 2 | 1.50 | .943 | |
| 2016 | Sweden | WCH | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | 187 | 7 | 1 | 2.24 | .940 | |
| 2017 | Sweden | WC | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | 320 | 7 | 0 | 1.31 | .946 | |
| 2019 | Sweden | WC | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | 359 | 17 | 1 | 2.84 | .887 | |
| Senior totals | 51 | 36 | 14 | 1 | 3034 | 105 | 8 | 2.08 | .917 | |||
Hockey Records and Achievements
Swedish League Records
- Best goals against average (1.45) and save percentage (.948) in 2002–03.
- Best goals against average (1.79) and save percentage (.936) in 2004–05.
New York Rangers and NHL Records
- Only goalie in NHL history to have 30 wins in each of his first seven seasons.
- First NHL goalie to start his career with 11 straight seasons of 20 or more wins.
- Most shutouts by a goalie at Madison Square Garden.
- New York Rangers record for most games played in a single season: 73 (2009–10).
- The Rangers' all-time leader in shutouts (regular season and playoffs combined): 74.
- Most wins (459) by a New York Rangers goalie.
- Fastest goalie to reach 400 wins in NHL history.
- Most shutouts (64) by a New York Rangers goalie.
- Most playoff wins (61) by a New York Rangers goalie.
- Most consecutive Game 7 wins (6).
- Most combined games played (985).
- Most combined regular season and playoff saves.
- Most wins by a European-born goalie in NHL history.
- Most saves in the shootout by a goalie (career).
- First goalie in NHL history with two straight games of 50+ saves.
Olympic Records
- Winter Olympics record for consecutive minutes without allowing a goal: 172 minutes and 34 seconds (from 2006 to 2010 Olympics).
Awards and Honors
Swedish League Awards
| Award | Year(s) awarded |
|---|---|
| Junior Hockey Player of the Year | 2002 |
| Honken Trophy | 2003, 2004, 2005 |
| Guldhjälmen | 2005 |
| Guldpucken | 2005 |
NHL and New York Rangers Awards
| Award | Year(s) awarded |
|---|---|
| NHL All-Rookie Team | 2006 |
| Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award | 2006, 2018 |
| New York Rangers' MVP | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018 |
| Victoria Cup – New York Rangers | 2008 |
| John Halligan Good Guy Award | 2008 |
| NHL All-Star Game | 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019 |
| Vezina Trophy | 2012 |
| NHL first All-Star team | 2012 |
| NHL second All-Star team | 2013 |
| NHL All-Decade 2nd Team | 2010s |
Award Nominations
| Award | Year(s) nominated |
|---|---|
| Vezina Trophy | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013 |
| Ride of Fame | 2010 |
| Hart Memorial Trophy | 2012 |
| Ted Lindsay Award | 2012 |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy | 2019, 2020 |
International Awards
| Award | Year(s) awarded |
|---|---|
| WC Best Goaltender | 2004 |
| WC All-Star team | 2004 |
| Olympic All-Star team | 2014 |
| IIHF All-Time Sweden Team | 2020 |
| IIHF Hall of Fame | 2025 |
See also
- List of family relations in the NHL
