The New York Rangers have had many incredible players throughout their near-century-long history, but none have earned the hearts of fans as much as superstar goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Selected 205th overall in the 7th round of the 2000 NHL draft, there were 21 goalies selected before The King — and none of them came close to building a resume as astounding as Lundqvist’s.
Lundqvist remains one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history
In his lengthy career, Lundqvist played in a grand total of 887 games. He earned a solid 2.43 GAA and a .918 SV% throughout- both great numbers that slightly diminished toward the end of his career. There was no better goaltender than Lundqvist during his prime, except for possibly Carey Price of Montreal. But if the playoff series between the Rangers and Canadiens is anything of value, then Lundqvist takes the cake as number one.
Lundqvist also managed to tally 64 shutouts across his career, good for 17th most all-time in NHL history. There have been many elite goaltenders in the history of the league, but the Rangers’ fan-favorite star stands out as one of the best.
The Rangers were never able to win Lundqvist a Stanley Cup despite his valiant efforts
One of the only disappointing aspects of Lundqvist’s successful career is the fact that The King was never able to hoist the Stanley Cup. His closest effort came in 2014, but the Rangers weren’t able to overcome their final obstacle in the finals. Lundqvist did everything in his power year after year to bring the Cup back to New York, but it was never his fault that it couldn’t happen during his career.
Despite never winning a Stanley Cup, Lundqvist earned many other accolades that make his career one of the best of all time. He earned the title of Rangers MVP nine times, won the 2012 Vezina Trophy, and helped Sweden win gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Lundqvist’s dominant career led to him being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023, as well as having his iconic number 30 being retired by the Rangers. The King now celebrates his 42nd birthday today as one of the greatest NHL goaltenders of all time.