Henrik Lundqvist
Updated: Wikipedia source
Henrik Lundqvist (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhɛ̌nːrɪk ˈlɵ̂nːdkvɪst]; born 2 March 1982) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a goaltender for 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers. Before winning the Vezina Trophy in 2012, he was nominated in each of his first three seasons, and is the only goaltender in NHL history to record eleven 30-win seasons in his first twelve seasons. He holds the record for most wins by a European-born goaltender in the NHL. His dominating play during his rookie season resulted in the New York media and Rangers fans giving him the nickname "King Henrik". Lundqvist is considered a butterfly style goaltender, though unorthodox because of the aggressive way he performs the butterfly. He is best known for his athleticism, strong positional play, concentration on tracking pucks, upright torso stance and quick reflexes. Lundqvist was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023. In Europe before the NHL, Lundqvist played for Frölunda HC in Swedish Elitserien. During his years in Sweden, he developed into the league's finest goaltender, winning the Honken Trophy in three consecutive seasons (2003, 2004, and 2005). In 2005, he also won two of the most prestigious awards in Swedish ice hockey, the Guldpucken (Golden Puck) and the Guldhjälmen (Golden Helmet). Internationally, he played for the Sweden men's national team. During the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, he led Sweden to their second Olympic gold medal. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2025.