Opposites attract as Zuccarello reflects on good pal Lundqvist's career

The deep friendship shared by Mats Zuccarello and Henrik Lundqvist is one that best substantiates the old saying that opposites really do attract.
One was drafted, one was not. One's from Sweden, the other from Norway. One's a goalie and one's a forward.
One is flashy, stylish, and typical Broadway. The other is … well, at least off the ice, not.

And Zuccarello will be the first one to tell you that.
"Usually when we had stuff we had to do together, he showed up in a suit and I would in sweatpants," Zuccarello said. "I think that was just the fun part of it for us. He's Hank, ya know? He's living under that pressure with the [flashiness] and the stardom that he's had living with that many years and doing well. It's been impressive for me to watch.
"He's kind of a different guy. I'm more of a [joking guy], he's more serious like that. So I think he enjoys that in me, and I certainly enjoy that in him. I think we complement each other in that way as teammates."
But no matter how their kinship began or how it continues, the Wild forward and former Rangers goaltender developed a deep appreciation for one another during their shared time as members of the New York Rangers.
So it is fitting that when Lundqvist, one of the best goaltenders of his era, has his number 30 raised to the rafters of Madison Square Garden on Friday night, his old pal Zuccarello will be there to watch as it's lifted into arguably the most famous ceiling in sports.

"It's a huge day for him and his family. Knowing him for so long, it's going to be cool for me to experience that and be a part of that for sure," Zuccarello said. "I don't think it's going to be that emotional [for me], I'm just going to enjoy it. I'm really happy for him, but it's not an emotional thing for me, it's a proud moment for him and I think he and his family deserve it. I'm just going to enjoy it.
"I don't think there's going to be any tears, but just as a hockey fan, I'm going to enjoy it like that and worry about the game after. We're there for a reason and that's to play a game against one of the best teams in the league."
Selected in 2000 by the Rangers, Lundqvist didn't reach the NHL until 2005. It'd be five more seasons until the undrafted Zuccarello was signed as an unrestricted free agent.
For whatever reason, the two got along from the very beginning.
"He was a big player already when I came in as a young adult," Zuccarello said. "He needed someone to shoot on him, and I was there. That was the first time I met him. Obviously it takes some time to get to know each other, but I think he's someone I looked up to when I got there and was someone I was able to call a friend, so that's special."
They played together for eight seasons, helping the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 and putting together some terrific seasons, becoming two of the most popular players in the Big Apple.
When Zuccarello was dealt to the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline in 2019, Lundqvist was quite emotional with the New York media when asked about it afterward.
"The times we've spent together, the talks we've had, I'll miss that and I'll miss him," Lundqvist told the New York Post in the aftermath. "I've had friends leave before. It's hard. But when you play for one team for 14 years, it's going to happen."

By the time he arrived in Dallas, Zuccarello saw his friend's comments.
"It was special for me to see that and I kind of felt the same way," Zuccarello said. I had been there for a long time and it was really rough for me.
"You have it in your mind that you're going to spend the rest of your life there, the rest of your career. And suddenly, in a matter of moments, you're gone. All the friends and relationships you have there are gone. So it was emotional for me as well and to see that reaction from him, it was special for me to see."
So beloved was Zuccarello in New York, that when he made his first return trip to Madison Square Garden as a member of the Wild two years ago, he received two standing ovations during pregame warmups and another during his first-period video tribute.
It's a welcome back that Zuccarello expects will be trumped by Lundqvist's return after he was not signed by the Rangers and became a free agent prior to last season, where he signed on to become a backup for the Washington Capitals.
An irregular heart beat was followed by open-heart surgery last year, which ended his playing career before he ever entered a game for the Caps, meaning all 887 NHL games he played in were in the famous red, white and blue Rangers sweater.
He's one of just three goaltenders in NHL history to play 850 games with one franchise and in 2019, he became the sixth goalie in league history to win 450 games - and just the second to do so with a single team.
Lundqvist was the first European goalie to win 400 games and became the fastest in NHL history to do so (727 appearances). He's the only goaltender in league annals to win 20 games or more in 13 consecutive seasons.
In 15 seasons, Lundqvist piled up 459 wins, a 2.43 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage, winning a Gold Medal for Sweden in 2006 and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender in 2012.
"We played with each other for a long time," Zuccarello said of what he'll remember about his years playing with Lundqvist. "Just those nights together, talking every day with his wife, his kids, play around with them and just outside of hockey, that's the most memorable for sure."