Golden Knights fan who had multiple heart surgeries bonds with Lundqvist

LAS VEGAS -- Brennan Rosenberg met his heart hero on Saturday. And maybe Henrik Lundqvist did, too.

Brennan and his dad encountered the retired NHL goalie-turned TNT hockey analyst by chance in the corridors of T-Mobile Arena before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights and were awestruck.

Brennan, a 14-year-old Las Vegas resident, twice had the same type of open-heart surgery that the former New York Rangers goalie and 2012 Vezina Trophy winner had in January 2021. Brennan was diagnosed with a congential heart defect known as Ebstein anomaly, which was classified as severe, according to his mother Donna.

"I wasn't really paying much attention and my dad's, like, 'There's Henrik Lundqvist,' and I'm, like, 'What? That's crazy,' Brennan said. "I showed him the proof that I did have open heart surgery."

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Brennan lifted his black Golden Knights No. 9 Jack Eichel jersey and proudly showed Lundqvist the same surgical scar that he has on his chest.

"I was, like, so star struck," he said. "I said 'you're an inspiration,' I showed him my heart. I asked him for a photo, he was super-nice."

Derek Rosenberg, Brennan's dad, said Lundqvist told Brennan he was proud of him, gave him some knuckles and took some great pictures.

"He was very kind because he was in a rush because they were getting ready to go on the air," Derek said.

Lundqvist had surgery to repair a leaky aortic heart valve that was discovered shortly after he signed with the Washington Capitals on Oct. 9, 2020, after playing 15 seasons for the New York Rangers from 2005-20. He announced his retirement in August 2021.

The man with the sixth most wins in NHL history spoke eloquently of the meeting on the TNT broadcast after the game.

"He told me that, you know, he went through the exact same thing and I was a pretty big inspiration to him going through that time," Lundqvist said during the network's postgame coverage of Game 1. "It was really cool. I saw it was a pretty emotional moment for his dad. So that was a cool moment for me as well."

Brennan had his first surgery in June 2001 in Las Vegas, but it was unsuccessful, Derek said. He had the second surgery in Pittsburgh in November 2022.

While there, Brennan and his family attended a Pittsburgh Penguins game. The Penguins had Brennan on the bench for the team's pregame warm up.

"The Penguins were amazing. They've become one of his favorite teams because they took very good care of us," Derek said.

Brennan has a giant framed autograph photo of Lundqvist, a gift from his father, who added two smaller photos to the picture. One is from a social media post of Lundqvist showing off his post-op scar. The other is of Brennan striking a similar pose.

Brennan and Lundqvist were able to meet only because he and his father, a Golden Knights season ticket holder since 2018, decided it was too hot to attend a VIP party on the patio of T-Mobile Arena so they took a different entrance to their seats near the glass.

That's when Derek spotted Lundqvist, who was enroute to do the "NHL on TNT" pregame show.

"This was meant to be," Derek said.

Derek said his son's heart prevents him from playing any sports, but his surgical scars are now worn as a badge of honor. An avid sports fan, Brennan aspires to become a broadcaster, just like Lundqvist.

"It's kind of like a morale-booster," Brennan said. "When I wake up in the morning and I just see this scar and I'm, like, 'I can do anything.' It was a very traumatizing moment. Some people, they like to hide their worst moments, but I think you should highlight your worst moments because when you're at the top it shows the progression from where you once were."