History of Henrik Lundqvist in Timeline
Henrik Lundqvist is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender renowned for his 15-season tenure with the New York Rangers in the NHL. A Vezina Trophy winner in 2012, he was nominated for the award in his first three seasons. Lundqvist holds the distinction of being the only NHL goaltender to achieve eleven 30-win seasons within his first twelve. He also holds the record for most wins by a European-born goaltender in NHL history. His exceptional performance as a rookie earned him the nickname "King Henrik" from New York media and Rangers fans.
1955: Gump Worsley's record matched
Lundqvist's 43 saves in the season opener of 19-20 tied a franchise record held by Gump Worsley since 1955.
March 1982: Birth of Henrik Lundqvist
Henrik Lundqvist was born in March 1982.
1990: Starts Playing Hockey
Henrik Lundqvist and his twin brother Joel began playing organized hockey with Järpens IF in 1990.
1993: Family Moves to Båstad
The Lundqvist family moved to Båstad in 1993.
1995: Selected for Scania's Regional Team
Henrik and Joel Lundqvist were selected for Scania's regional team in Sverigepucken in 1995.
1996: Henrik Selected for TV-pucken
Henrik Lundqvist was selected to play for Scania in TV-pucken in 1996.
1997: Both Twins Selected for TV-pucken
Both Henrik and Joel Lundqvist were selected to play for Scania in TV-pucken in 1997.
1998: Frölunda Shows Interest
Frölunda HC showed interest in Henrik and Joel Lundqvist in 1998.
September 2000: Elitserien Debut
Henrik Lundqvist made his Elitserien debut with Frölunda HC in September 2000.
2001: World Junior Championships and Anton Cup Win
Henrik Lundqvist led Sweden to a fourth-place finish in the 2001 World Junior Championships and then led Frölunda to the Anton Cup title.
2001: World U20 Championship
In 2001, Lundqvist led Sweden to a fourth-place finish at the World U20 Championship.
November 2002: Senior National Team Debut
Lundqvist made his debut with the Swedish senior national team in November 2002.
2003: First Frölunda Title
Henrik Lundqvist led Frölunda HC to their first title in 2003.
2003: First Honken Trophy
Henrik Lundqvist won his first Honken Trophy in 2003.
2003: World Championship Selection
Lundqvist was selected to the Swedish roster for the 2003 World Championship.
2004: Breaks Swedish National Records
During the 2004-2005 season, Henrik Lundqvist broke four Swedish national records: lowest GAA, highest save percentage, longest goalless streak, and most shutouts in a season.
2004: Second Honken Trophy
Henrik Lundqvist won his second Honken Trophy in 2004.
2004: World Championship All-Star
In 2004, Lundqvist was the starting goaltender for Sweden at the World Championship and was named to the tournament all-star team.
2004: Best Dressed in Sweden
Lundqvist is known for his interest in fashion and design and in 2004, was awarded "Best Dressed" in Sweden.
October 2005: NHL Debut and First Win
Henrik Lundqvist made his NHL debut in October 2005, and earned his first win five days later. He also earned the nickname "The King" after a game against the Atlanta Thrashers.
2005: Second Frölunda Title
Henrik Lundqvist led Frölunda HC to their second title in 2005.
2005: Third Honken Trophy, Guldpucken, and Guldhjälmen
Henrik Lundqvist won his third consecutive Honken Trophy, as well as the Guldpucken and Guldhjälmen awards in 2005.
2005: 2005 World Championship
Lundqvist played in all nine games for Sweden at the 2005 World Championship.
April 2006: People's World's 100 Most Beautiful People
In April 2006, Lundqvist was included in People Magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People" list.
2006: Olympic Gold Medal
Henrik Lundqvist led Sweden to an Olympic gold medal in 2006.
December 2008: Page Six Magazine's Top 25 Best Dressed
Lundqvist was named one of Page Six Magazine's "Top 25 Best Dressed" in December 2008.
2009: Garden of Dreams Foundation Spokesman
In 2009, Lundqvist began his role as the New York Rangers spokesman for the Garden of Dreams Foundation. This organization focuses on hosting events and granting wishes to children facing illness.
January 2012: Launch of the Crown Collection
To further support the Garden of Dreams Foundation, Lundqvist introduced "The Crown Collection" clothing line in January 2012. The line was sold exclusively at Madison Square Garden.
July 2013: "Sommar" Talk Show Host
Lundqvist hosted the popular Swedish radio show "Sommar" for a 1.5 hour episode in July 2013.
December 2013: Contract Extension with the Rangers
In December 2013, Henrik Lundqvist signed a seven-year contract extension with the New York Rangers worth $59.5 million, making him the highest-paid goaltender in the NHL at the time.
March 2014: Breaking Rangers Goaltending Records
In March 2014, Lundqvist achieved two significant milestones in Rangers history. On March 18th, he surpassed Mike Richter to become the Rangers' all-time wins leader, and on March 22nd, he surpassed Eddie Giacomin to become the franchise leader in regular season shutouts.
September 2014: Henrik Lundqvist Foundation Inaugural Event
Lundqvist and his wife held the first fundraising event for the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation (HLF) in September 2014. The event included a silent auction, Q&A session, and a musical performance by Lundqvist and John McEnroe.
2014: Presidents' Trophy and Eastern Conference Finals
During the end of the 2014-15 season, Lundqvist and the New York Rangers secured the President's Trophy and reached the Eastern Conference Finals before being eliminated in 7 games.
January 2015: Neck Injury and Return
In January 2015, Lundqvist suffered a neck injury from a shot, sidelining him for several weeks. Despite this, he returned in March and helped the Rangers secure the Presidents' Trophy.
June 2015: ESPN Humanitarian of the Year Finalist
In June 2015, Lundqvist was nominated as a finalist for the ESPN Humanitarian of the Year Award. This recognition highlighted his work with HLF and Garden of Dreams.
January 2016: Consecutive 20-Win Seasons
In January 2016, Lundqvist achieved his 11th consecutive 20-win season, a feat matched by only a few goaltenders in NHL history.
November 2016: 60th Shutout
In November 2016, Lundqvist recorded his 60th career shutout.
February 2017: 400th Win
In February 2017, Lundqvist became the first European-born goaltender to reach 400 NHL wins.
2017: 2017 World Championship Victory
In 2017, Henrik Lundqvist backstopped Sweden to their tenth World Championship title. He played in all five remaining games of the tournament, including the final against Canada, maintaining a 1.31 GAA and a .946 save percentage. In the final, he stopped all four Canadian shootout attempts, securing the win for Sweden, captained by his twin brother, Joel.
2017: Start of 13th consecutive 20 win season
In the 2017-18 season, Lundqvist set off on what would become an unprecedented run, eventually extending his streak of 20-win seasons to an unmatched 13.
January 2018: Record 20-win streak
In January 2018, Lundqvist broke the NHL record with 13 consecutive 20 win seasons.
March 2019: 850 Games with One Franchise
In March 2019, Lundqvist became the third goaltender in NHL history to play 850 games with a single franchise.
October 2019: 450th Win and Franchise Record
In October 2019, Lundqvist secured his 450th career win and tied a Rangers franchise record for most saves in a season opener.
2019: 2019 World Championship Appearance
After the conclusion of the NHL season in 2019, Lundqvist represented Sweden at the World Championship. Sweden was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Finland after a 5-4 overtime loss, making this Lundqvist's only loss against Finland.
September 2020: Buyout and Free Agency
In September 2020, the Rangers bought out Lundqvist's contract, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.
October 2020: Signing with the Capitals
In October 2020, Lundqvist signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals.
January 2021: Open-Heart Surgery
In January 2021, Lundqvist underwent open-heart surgery due to a heart condition.
February 2021: Return to Practice
Lundqvist returned to practice in February 2021 after his surgery.
August 2021: Retirement
In August 2021, Lundqvist announced his retirement from professional hockey.
2021: Joins MSG Network and TNT as Analyst
Lundqvist transitioned to broadcasting in 2021, joining MSG Network as a studio analyst for New York Rangers coverage. The same year, he joined TNT as a rotating studio analyst.
January 2022: Number Retirement
The Rangers retired Lundqvist's number 30 in January 2022.
2023: Hockey Hall of Fame Induction
Henrik Lundqvist was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023.
2023: Full-Time Analyst for TNT
In 2023, Lundqvist became a full-time studio analyst for TNT, taking over from Rick Tocchet.
2025: IIHF Hall of Fame Induction
Henrik Lundqvist was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2025.
