A Legendary Teammate: Rangers Reflect on Lundqvist 

A special weekend is in store for all-time legend Henrik Lundqvist.

In 15 years spent between the pipes solely with the Rangers, Lundqvist is set to cement his legacy as one of the all-time best netminders in hockey as he will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this weekend in Toronto.

Ahead of the special celebration, some of Lundqvist’s former teammates reflected on their favorite memories on and off the ice with the iconic No. 30.

What was a favorite memory you had of Lundqvist in the net?

Ryan Lindgren, teammates from 2019-20: My first game I got called up; it was at home against Carolina. Just getting the chance to play in front of him and play with him was really cool. It was nice knowing that he was back there. It was comforting as a d-man. He’s obviously a legend. He’s someone I watched growing up so playing with him was cool.

Jacob Trouba, teammates from 2019-20: I remember he played an insane game in Carolina. That was one of the best goalie performances I’ve ever seen. It was during my first year. That was the biggest on-ice thing I remember seeing of him. Then, just his overall work ethic and dedication that he shows in practice and how hard he works every single day. It was rare for someone at that point in their career [to put in that much work given] how successful he’d been. I think that is the reason why he was so successful and why he was who he was.

Jimmy Vesey, teammates from 2016-19: There’s a lot -- certainly all of the milestones that he hit in the three years that I was his teammate. The specific memories that stand out would be in my rookie year. In the playoffs, he was pretty dominant, and we won the First Round. To celebrate with him after was pretty cool. That was my first playoff experience. The other memory would probably also be in my rookie year. We played in Nashville. I was getting a lot of boos from the crowd. The game ended up going into a shootout and he stopped all of their attempts. I just remember jumping off the bench after the win in excitement. He was the first guy to greet me halfway to the pile. It was a cool moment and pretty surreal.

Mika Zibanejad, teammates from 2016-20: He had back-to-back 50-save games [in 2018]. That game against Calgary [March 2, 2018] stands out, but he had so many big performances. It was always a big save here, a big save there. Thinking back on it, it seems like so much in terms of how you could always count on him to save [you] if you made a mistake or if something happened. He just had a big presence on the ice and was someone that always calmed everyone down.

What’s a favorite memory or moment you shared with him off the ice?

Lindgren: I’m not sure there’s just one that sticks out, but he’s just a great guy. He was a guy that went out of his way to be nice. As a younger guy, he made sure everyone felt welcome no matter who you were. He was a great teammate.

Trouba: He definitely has a presence. He can get pretty fiery at times. One of the things I remember was during my first year. Normally, I drove to the rink with Brady Skjei, but he had a doctor's appointment or something. So, he told me, 'Just ask Hank to take you home.' and I was like, 'I barely know him, no way!' I was nervous to ask him for a ride home, but he was so nice about everything and said it was no problem. We were just talking the whole time in the car. It was one of those moments where I was like, 'Wow, this is pretty cool. Here I am in the car driving with Henrik Lundqvist.' He was just always a super nice guy and always cared about his teammates. His passion is something that I’ll always remember.

Vesey: He was definitely a presence in the net. All the accolades that he has... He was certainly a big game player in big moments. I got to witness that in my rookie year up close in the playoffs. Just day-to-day, how competitive he was in practice and in games and how much he really didn’t want to be scored on even if it was a nothing practice. That work ethic and that drive, I think, was good for me as a young guy. I think it rubbed off on a lot of other guys in the locker room.

Zibanejad: The first few years, I was pretty much afraid of him. I wasn’t scared of him or anything, it was just the status that he had. Coming in, I was a 23-year-old who had known who he was, played against him and just watched him on TV before I even got here. It was a pretty cool moment for me. Then, we became friends too. He’s a great teammate on and off the ice. It’s well deserved -- not just the nomination, but the recognition for him to do it and to make it into the Hall of Fame. That’s special. It’s just awesome to see.

What is his impact like back in Sweden?

Zibanejad: He’s known as the Shampoo Guy. Obviously, he’s probably the best goalie in the history of Swedish hockey, but if you ask the younger generations, he’s the shampoo guy. He’s done so many Head and Shoulders commercials in Sweden. I had a camp with kids a couple of years ago and they’re like, 'Oh, you play with the shampoo guy!' But really, he’s a big deal there and for obvious reasons. He’s one of the best. Generations look up to him.