An open letter to Henrik Lundqvist
Dear Hank,
For 15 years you’ve been wearing the jersey of the team my family and I root for. Your name became a fixture in our household just like your name became synonymous with New York. Throughout those years you kept the team in front of you in games, you outdid yourself night in and night out for them. Season after season you came back, ready and eager to make us proud. But in the end, it wasn’t enough. Despite the fact you’ve belonged to my team your whole career, I truly believe there is not a single player in this league more deserving of a Stanley Cup.
I grew up with you on my TV and to think at this time, you started at the age I am right now. You’ve been the face, the heart, and the soul of this team. You never shied away from your emotions, you fully embraced and embodied the entirety of what it means to be a Ranger. I want to thank you particular for this.
You set the bar high, as it should be, for every player after you who puts that jersey on because you understood how much of an honor it is. There will truly never be another like you.
Not only were you loved so widely by Rangers fans but you were respected by so many players and adored by fans across the league. It should go without saying but this is absolutely not the way us Rangers fan wanted it to end. But this goodbye means everything if it gives you a chance to lift that Cup.
My first NYR shirt was yours. My first NYR jersey was yours. My strongest memory from my first game at the Garden was the excitement of donning your name around the city. I can remember when I first transitioned from casual fan to a fanatic. It was my top priority to memorize how to spell “Lundqvist.” Now we’re here.
It has been an absolute honor to watch you. It has been an absolute honor to support you in every city I’ve lived. It has been an absolute honor to write about you and your accomplishments.
Thank you to you and the Rangers for giving me something so extraordinary to be passionate about. You’ve been a part in shaping my life in ways you’ll never know.
I’m lucky though. I’ve never had to write one of these farewells for a professional athlete before and I will probably never feel inclined to write another in my lifetime.
So many memories started and end with you. It wouldn’t feel right to watch you go without thanking you. No one quite understood the pain of being so close so many times like you do.
I promise to support you wherever this crazy ride takes you next. We salute you one last time.
Thank you, Henrik.
With love,
Rachel