The New York Rangers say goodbye to the King

Lundqvist crowned King Hero

I’ve always been a hockey fan, a Rangers fan, but no one player was ever that special to me. My Father loved Rod Gilbert, my Mother loved Ron Duguay, and I had a plethora of favorites over the years that I watched depart one by one. John “Beezer” Vanbiesbrouk, Bernie Nicholls, Alex Kovalev and Brian Leetch. I rooted for the Florida Panthers in 1996 for Beezer, I rooted for the Pittsburgh Penguins as Kovalev finally developed into a point per game player, and briefly the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins when Leetch played out the end his career.

I wasn’t expecting anyone to replace Mattingly as my sports hero, but along came Henrik Lundqvist. He was good from the start, became great and like Donnie and the Yankees, the New York Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist became synonymous. My wife bought me a pro-weight jersey at Crosby’s (when it was still under the Garden) for my birthday, just prior to the start of the 2006-07 season. I wore it for every game whether at home watching the TV, at MSG or when following the team on a road trip.

As Henrik Lundqvist leaves the New York Rangers I am sad, but thoughtful of happier times. Not just of his many accomplishments on the ice, but how he has impacted me in subtle (and not so subtle) ways. On November 11, 2014 my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. That night, just a a few blocks to the south, the King shut out the Penguins. A perfect welcoming gift for my daughter.

A few years later, I was fortunate enough to meet him once, at Casino Night for the 2015-16 season. I had been talking to Derek Stepan and then practicing speaking Norwegian with Mats Zuccarello when Lundqvist entered. A line immediately formed to meet him. I waited until the line was dead, caught his attention and we briefly spoke.  He had noticed my wife’s aunt all jittery behind me, so I went to introduce her when she jumped forward and excitedly blurted out “He named his son after you, He named his son after you”

The moment got very awkward and ended almost immediately.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a fan-hero moment with both of my New York sports idols. They are something to look back on that is mine and mine alone, something that adds to the legend of how I see them. I know I will never say goodbye to hockey, or the New York Rangers. But, now, as this chapter closes, I look forward to rooting for whichever team Henrik Lundqvist suits up for next.

Thank you Henrik