Lundqvist Savoring “Special” Hockey Hall of Fame Weekend 

Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t expecting the call, but he knew there was a chance his phone would ring.

The former Rangers netminder had just become eligible for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, which requires that an inductee must not have played in a professional or international hockey game during any of the three playing seasons prior to his or her election. To actually receive the nod during that first year of eligibility is rare.

So when Lundqvist’s phone rang between 7 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21, he was intrigued.

“I was in my closet, actually, getting dressed,” Lundqvist recalled. “It said, ‘Spain’ on the screen. The call was coming in and I was like, ‘I don’t know anybody in Spain! I’m not going to pick that up.’ Then for a second, I thought, I think I should. The voice came on and said, ‘It’s [Hockey Hall of Fame chairman] Lanny McDonald from Toronto,’ I knew that was it.”

Fast forward five months to a brisk autumn afternoon in Toronto, as Lundqvist joined the other six members of the 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame class for the first event of a special weekend.

On Friday, Lundqvist and the other inductees were individually recognized for their respective achievements during a ceremony hosted inside the iconic Grand Hall of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Every inductee was welcomed to the stage and presented with a Hall of Fame ring and plaque, which will be displayed inside the Grand Hall.

After, the inductees each took a few minutes to reflect on their accomplishments and talk about what the weekend of festivities means to them and their loved ones.

“It’s an opportunity to reflect on your career,” Lundqvist said. “The things you experienced, the people you met along the way – it’s so many people – it makes you happy thinking of all the fun times as a hockey player. And not only on the ice, but also away from the game and what the game brought you. You managed to reach a level where you could live your dream and play in the NHL. I’m so extremely grateful for that.”

Having grown up in Åre, Sweden – a ski town with a population of just over 3,000 people – and now having cemented his legacy as one of the all-time best goaltenders in history, Lundqvist described this experience as “surreal.”

At one time, the idea of playing in the NHL seemed far-fetched to a young Lundqvist, who often couldn’t stay up late enough to watch games on TV. But eventually, Lundqvist made that dream a reality. He was drafted in the seventh round (205th overall) of the 2000 NHL Draft, and from there, he made the most of an opportunity, and the rest is history.

“Growing up in Sweden in the late ’80s, it was hard to watch the NHL at times,” Lundqvist said. “As I became older, I started paying attention to the NHL and looking up to some of the great goalies over here. As a Swede coming over, obviously I had my role models like Tommy Salo, who played here for many years – but back home, it was a big deal to come [to the NHL], no question about it. So to stand here today feels really special."

Lundqvist also took time to reflect on how special it was to have spent the entirety of his 15-year career with the same franchise. He owned a 459-310-96 regular season record with a 2.43 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage and 64-career shutouts, and his No. 30 jersey now hangs in Madison Square Garden’s rafters.

“A big part of why [playing in New York] was so special was the support from the fans,” Lundqvist said. “I love them. I miss playing there. Luckily, I still come back there a lot and I’m still part of the MSG family, but I love it. That support that I felt for 15 years was incredible.” 

Friday marked the first experience during a busy but special weekend for Lundqvist and the other inductees. On Friday evening, the 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame Class participated in a ceremonial puck drop at Scotiabank Arena ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs game against the Calgary Flames.  

On Saturday, Lundqvist and other inductees will attend a Fan Forum, where fans in attendance will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A. On Sunday, Lundqvist will play in his first game since 2020 in the Hall of Fame Legends Classic at Scotiabank Arena. And the remarkable weekend festivities will wrap up on Monday night with the induction ceremony.

“The more time I’m going to spend here this weekend, the more time I’m going to realize how special it is,” Lundqvist said. “It’s almost hard to really understand the full picture here. Already coming here last night, enjoying this weekend with friends and family and being here today, feels really good.”