Connect with us

Published

on

As the 2000 NHL draft entered its late stages, the energy had fizzled out of the New York Rangers‘ war room.

“Back then, the drafts were nine rounds, and by the sixth or seventh, you’re just looking for a player that someone semi-likes,” explained then-assistant general manager Don Maloney. “You’re just trying to stay awake more than anything else.”

The Rangers had already drafted a goalie, American-born Brandon Snee, in the fifth round. “But we didn’t have anyone in our system we were really high on,” Maloney said. “So by the seventh round, we said, ‘We really should think about another goalie here.'”

Sitting to Maloney’s right was Martin Madden, the head of amateur scouting. On Maloney’s left was Christer Rockstrom, the team’s head European scout. Maloney glanced over at Rockstrom’s notebook, and noticed a bunch of names crossed out except for one at the top: Henrik Lundqvist‘s.

“Christer,” Maloney whispered. “Is that your top goaltender in Europe that hasn’t been selected?”

“Yes,” Rockstrom responded. “But Martin saw him and didn’t like him, so don’t bring his name up.”

Maloney was incredulous.

“It was so illogical — Christer has a great track record, why wouldn’t we take this Lundqvist guy?” Maloney said.

So Maloney brought his concerns to Madden. “In Martin’s defense — and why I think Henrik fell in that draft — Henrik wasn’t very good in the last tournament that all the scouts see,” Maloney said. “But Martin basically said, ‘Fine, we’ll take him.’ Christer looked at me and was like, ‘I can’t believe it. Don — why are you trying to get me in trouble with my boss?'”

And so goes the story of how the New York Rangers snagged one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history with the 205th overall pick — after 21 other goaltenders had been selected.

“To Martin’s credit, he went back [to Sweden] the following fall after we drafted Henrik,” Maloney said. “He called me right away after the tournament and said: ‘Don, I think we have a goalie here.'”


A worldwide legacy

Lundqvist, 39, announced his retirement last week after learning that inflammation in his heart would prevent a comeback. For his entire 15-year career, Lundqvist was the face of the Rangers, and one of the most popular athletes in New York City.

Though Lundqvist transcended hockey — he’s been named one of People magazine’s Most Beautiful People, landed on GQ’s Most Stylish Men list and once played “Sweet Child O’ Mine” on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” — he’ll also be remembered as one of the best goalies to never win a Stanley Cup. Only Roberto Luongo has posted more wins (489 to Lundqvist’s 459) without hoisting Lord Stanley.

It was a dominant run for Lundqvist in New York. The Rangers missed the playoffs for the seven seasons before Lundqvist arrived and were stuck in a rut in throwing money at big-name, past-their-prime free agents. They missed the playoffs just once in Lundqvist’s first 12 seasons, with a marketable homegrown star around whom to build.

Lundqvist’s run on Broadway coincided with $1 billion in renovations to Madison Square Garden, and the Rangers overtaking the Toronto Maple Leafs on Forbes’ list of most valuable franchises, ending a 14-year drought.

From 2005-06 to 2019-20, Lundqvist posted more shutouts (64) than any other goaltender, while his 61 playoff wins and 10 playoff shutouts rank second, to Marc-Andre Fleury. Lundqvist sits atop the Rangers’ goaltending wins list, with 459, which is 158 more than second-place Mike Richter.

Lundqvist, a five-time All Star and three-time Vezina Trophy finalist (including a win in 2012) was loyal to a fault, and quickly identified as a New Yorker. When the Rangers bought out the final year of his contract in 2020, he chose his next team based on two criteria: Could he win a Stanley Cup there? And was it close to New York?

The goalie signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals but never played for them, as doctors recommended open-heart surgery.

Lundqvist pushed hard for an NHL comeback. He was close. Aaron Voros, his former teammate and good friend, shot pucks for Lundqvist over the last six months at skating sessions at a private rink in Alpine, New Jersey. According to Voros, they ran the skates like a typical NHL skills session, with Voros shooting 1,000 pucks per day.

“He was looking good, he was looking really good,” Voros said. “But his heart, to no fault of his own, is letting him down.”

Lundqvist retires as an icon, not only in New York. His impact is perhaps even greater in his native Sweden, where Lundqvist is known as much as being “the shampoo guy” as “the hockey guy,” thanks to his near-ubiquitous Head & Shoulders campaign. His impact in the Swedish hockey community skyrocketed after he led his country to Olympic gold in 2006.

“I have a goalie school in the north of Sweden, and I work with hundreds of goalies,” said Erik Granqvist, a former goalie and Swedish TV analyst. “And everyone — every girl and every boy that I met — have had Henrik Lundqvist as their role model. In Sweden, Nicklas Lidstrom has been the role model for all the defensemen, and Peter Forsberg for the forwards, and now it’s Henrik Lundqvist for the goalies. He’s unbelievably popular. Every step he takes is news in the newspapers. The interest in Sweden for the NHL increased significantly because of Henrik Lundqvist “

One of those who cites Lundqvist as their idol is Jesper Wallstedt, the No. 20 pick of the 2021 draft — the highest-drafted Swedish goalie ever. Wallstedt grew up going to Lundqvist’s goalie camps. When I asked Wallstedt before the draft if he remembered any advice Lundqvist gave to him, he said: “To be honest, not really. I was just starstruck.”


Different is good

After the 2004-05 lockout, the Rangers were interested in bringing Lundqvist over to North America. “But we were not bringing Henrik over, in my mind, to be the starting goaltender for the New York Rangers,” Maloney said. “We had a more typical development path in mind, with him playing in the AHL for a period of time.”

Lundqvist showed up with other ideas. And by then, his reputation was already starting to grow.

Kevin Weekes, now an ESPN analyst, had just signed with the Rangers as a free agent. “I had heard from friends of mine playing in Europe of how awesome this guy is, like ‘he’s unbelievable, he’s so good, you have to see him,'” Weekes said. “Jose Theodore was over there playing, he’s obviously had an amazing career, 2002 league MVP, and people were saying Henrik was better than him.”

Lundqvist showed up to training camp, and right away Weekes sensed something special.

“He looked different. He dressed differently, he had that punk rocker Rod Stewart haircut, slim-fitting suits with a skinny tie, that retro look off the ice,” Weekes said. “But on the ice, he was really different too. His stance was different. The way his feet were positioned was different. He just looked radically different from anyone I had ever seen play.”

Weekes had come off a career year in 2003-04, but didn’t play during the lockout season of 2004-05 as part of a faction of players worried they might be blackballed by NHL owners. “I remember calling home, talking to my dad: ‘This guy is good. Really good.’ Even if I played the year before, and even if I had played at that level prior to the stoppage, there was no stopping the tsunami or the force that just was.”

Said Maloney: “He showed up at that first training camp just relentless. He worked on everything. All great goaltenders have that great internal drive to them. With Henrik’s makeup, and personality, and the tutelage of [longtime Rangers goalie coach] Benoit Allaire who helped him adjust his game and get him a little more in control, it was a match made in heaven for many years.”

In Lundqvist’s early years in New York, he was surrounded by veterans: Jaromir Jagr, Michael Nylander, Steve Rucchin, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Straka.

“We had a real eclectic mix,” Weekes said. “Even though Jagr scored like 120-something points for us one year and is one of the best players to ever play, and Shanny is a Hall of Famer, Henrik was our best player.”

The crowd at Madison Square Garden, and the tabloids in New York, all fell in love with Lundqvist, anointing him “The King.” But Lundqvist’s staying power at the top is often attributed to his class. He showed up for every hospital and community visit. He never bragged, even as high-end designers like Dior began sending suits for him to the practice facility. In the locker room, he’d acknowledge his teammates for a blocked shot or important faceoff.

And he backed it all up with his work ethic; if a player got called up from the AHL, Lundqvist was on the ice with him after practice, taking shots for an extra 40 minutes.

“Even though he’s super intense getting after it from time to time, slamming his stick or things like that, that year and over time he realized, ‘I need everyone around me. As great as I am, I need everyone around me too,'” Weekes said. “And that just speaks to his class factor. Because some guys don’t figure that out.”

Said Granqvist: “He was a superstar, playing the most difficult positions in pro sports, and he handled it with class — even after super tough losses, like to the Los Angeles Kings in the Final in 2014. As we talk about ending the stigma of mental health, Henrik Lundqvist has really been open about being stressed before games. But he says it’s OK, because there are ways to handle it and embrace it. And now, during this process with the heart surgery, and accepting it, he also has a mental coach that supported him. You have this extremely successful and beautiful man, but he says: ‘I can’t do it alone. I need help and support sometimes, because it can be very lonely to be there at the top.'”


What comes next?

Last week, Lundqvist invited Granqvist to Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden — the same rink where Lundqvist watched his first professional hockey game as a kid.

Granqvist was told he would be given a one-hour exclusive interview with Lundqvist to talk about the upcoming season, and perhaps the goalie’s last push to win the Stanley Cup. “He made so many unbelievable saves in his career,” Granqvist said. “But the deke he made on all of the media here was so great.”

Turns out, Lundqvist invited all of the media outlets in Sweden, both newspaper and broadcasts. “Everyone came and thought they were going to have a one-hour exclusive by themselves,” Granqvist. “But then he just came in and said, ‘I have a new chapter in my life. I’m retiring.’ It was like ‘whoa, what’s happening.'”

All of the questions Granqvist prepared were now irrelevant. Everyone was told they would now have five to 10 minutes to talk to Lundqvist.

“But that five to 10 minutes became nearly 20 minutes for everyone,” Granqvist. “It was just so beautiful because it was just another example of him being a class act. He was so present, and so open about sharing deep thoughts about this tough year it has been. He talked about how he started to find gratitude again, for all the experiences. And also that he found a happy place inside himself.

“Of course he would like to stop on his own terms, but now the heart and doctor says it’s not possible. It took a couple weeks, but he accepted this fact. He’s always been this guy that puts so much time in his preparation, and plays with full passion. He controls what he can control, and in announcing his retirement, he was able to do his way, so he could be really present and attentive.”

Lundqvist plans on moving back to New York next week; his daughters are enrolled in school there and he wants to raise his children in the city. It feels fitting, because Lundqvist always identified as a New Yorker.

When Voros joined the Rangers in 2008, there were only two players who lived in Manhattan over the summers: Lundqvist and Sean Avery.

As Voros joined their group, he and Lundqvist bonded over their love of foreign sports cars and good Italian food. They also subscribed to the same belief system: They lived in the best city in the world. New York City was for going out. The road is for staying in.

Lundqvist always had interests outside of hockey, including guitar, and has dabbled in some investments, including co-owning a New York restaurant with Voros. As for what comes next, post-retirement? According to his friends, Lundqvist is still figuring it out.

“I’m excited to see what he does next,” Voros said. “He literally could do anything he wanted right now. Anything. The world is his oyster.”

Continue Reading

Sports

NHL free agency tracker: A flurry of signings on July 1

Published

on

By

NHL free agency tracker: A flurry of signings on July 1

There has been no shortage of excitement already this NHL offseason. Following the Florida Panthers‘ second consecutive Stanley Cup championship — and seemingly never-ending celebration — the annual period of roster modification has begun.

The 2025 NHL draft included 224 prospects finding new homes, and the weekend included trades for Noah Dobson, Charlie Coyle and John Gibson. On Monday, a slew of re-signings, and the trade of Mitch Marner, took several big names off the free agent big board.

Below you will find our continuously updated free agency tracker for 2025, featuring a list of every player signed, including average annual value of the contract in most cases. Analysis of the biggest deals can be found here.

Note that the newest deals are on top, denoted by date.

Draft recap: All 224 picks
Grades for all 32 teams
Winners and losers

July 2

Salmon Arm, British Columbia, native Curtis Lazar is headed back to Western Canada, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Oilers.


Veteran winger Anthony Mantha has made the rounds in recent seasons, and his next NHL home is in Pittsburgh, inking a one-year, $2.5 million pact.

July 1

After a brief stint for an American-based team, Andrew Mangiapane is back in Western Canada, inking a two-year, $3.6 million AAV deal with the Oilers.

Deal details


Forward Justin Brazeau has chosen the Penguins as his next NHL destination, inking a two-year, $1.5 million AAV contract.


The Devils continued adding to their forward depth, adding veteran scoring winger Evgenii Dadonov via a one-year, $1 million deal.


The July 1 goalie rush continues. The Mammoth are the latest team to make an addition in the crease, inking Stanley Cup champion Vitek Vanecek via a one-year, $1.5 million deal.


Offensive defenseman John Klingberg is headed to San Jose, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $4 million pact with the Sharks.


One of the top remaining free agents available, veteran forward Mikael Granlund has landed with the Ducks on a three-year deal.

Deal details | Signing grade


Veteran bottom-six forward Lars Eller has chosen the Senators as his next team, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $1.25 million deal.


The Penguins have extended their business relationships with Philip Tomasino (one year, $1.75 million) and Connor Dewar (one year, $1.1 million).


As part of the effort to retake the title of Florida’s best hockey team, the Lightning have inked Pontus Holmberg to a two-year, $1.55 million AAV contract.


The Wild have added Nico Sturm. The former Panther has signed a two-year, $2 million AAV contract.


The Sabres have entered the chat! The club’s first big deal of the day is inking goaltender Alex Lyon to a two-year, $1.5 million AAV contract.


The Kraken add to their goaltending depth, adding former Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray on a one-year, $1 million contract.


The Islanders had themselves a great draft weekend, and they continue the momentum in free agency, adding veteran forward Jonathan Drouin on a two-year, $4 million AAV deal.

Deal details


The Stars are on the board. Hours after announcing the official hiring of Glen Gulutzan as the club’s new head coach, the Stars have brought back forward Radek Faksa on a two-year, $3 million AAV contract.


Earlier on Tuesday the Kings lost defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to the Rangers. To help fill that blue-line gap, they signed Cody Ceci (four years, $4.5 million AAV) and Brian Dumoulin (three years, $4 million AAV). They also signed goaltender Anton Forsberg for two years, $2.25 million AAV.

Deal details


Defenseman Nick Perbix has thus far only known NHL life as a member of the Lightning. He’ll head to Nashville next, agreeing to a two-year, $2.75 million AAV deal with the Predators.


The Panthers have gone to the veteran defenseman well again, signing Jeff Petry to a one-year, $775,000 contract.

Deal details


Fresh off a Stanley Cup with the Panthers, defenseman Nate Schmidt is joining the Mammoth by way of a three-year, $3.5 million AAV contract.

Deal details | Signing grade


The NHL career of James van Riemsdyk will continue, as he has agreed to terms with the Red Wings on a one-year, $1 million deal. Separately, the Wings added Jacob Bernard-Docker on a one-year, $875,000 contract.

Deal details


The Bruins add to their depth, agreeing to terms with Sean Kuraly on a two-year, $1.85 million AAV pact.


Another key member of the Panthers’ championship roster is returning. Veteran forward Tomas Nosek has agreed to a one-year deal.


After completing the 2024-25 season with the Jets, veteran forward Brandon Tanev is sticking in the Central Division, but heading to Utah by way of a three-year, $2.5 million AAV deal.


Take another goalie’s name off the big board! Kaapo Kahkonen has agreed to terms with the Canadiens on a one-year deal worth $1.15 million. In a separate deal, the club also signed forward Sammy Blais.


The winner of the 2020 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in NCAA men’s hockey, defenseman Scott Perunovich has signed a one-year deal with the Mammoth.


In need of some backup goaltending depth, the Islanders agreed to terms with “Big Save” Dave Rittich on a one-year deal.


Diminutive, versatile forward Kailer Yamamoto is the latest player added by the Mammoth, by way of a one-year, $775,000 pact.


Veteran center Nick Bjugstad has made his decision: He’s joining the Blues by way of a two-year contract.


Veteran defenseman Ryan Lindgren finished the 2024-25 season with the Avalanche, and he’ll head northwest for his next NHL home, agreeing to terms on a four-year, $4.5 million AAV contract.

Signing grade


The Senators haven’t been able to lure any new free agents to the club yet, but their re-signing game remains strong. After re-upping with Claude Giroux, the Sens also continued their business relationship with Nick Cousins via a one-year, $825,000 pact.


Sure to be a fan favorite in Beantown, veteran forward Tanner Jeannot has agreed to terms on a five-year contract with the Bruins, with a $3.4 million AAV.


A sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft, winger Michael Pezzetta is going from Montreal to Toronto via a two-year, $787,500 AAV contract.


Connor Brown impressed a lot of viewers with inspired play during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. Now, he’ll bring that energy to the Devils, who have signed him to a four-year, $3 million AAV contract.


The defenseman market is one key player smaller, as the Rangers have agreed to terms with Vladislav Gavrikov on a seven-year, $7 million AAV contract.

Deal details | Signing grade


One of the top goaltending options available is off the board, with Dan Vladar joining the Flyers via a two-year, $3.35 million AAV contract.

Deal details


Veteran feisty forward Corey Perry is switching sides in the Oilers-Kings rivalry, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with salary and bonuses worth $3.5 million. Separately, the Kings also signed veteran forward Joel Armia to a two-year deal with a $2.5 million AAV.

Deal details | Signing grade


One of the top available free agents has made a decision … and he’ll be re-signing. Brock Boeser is back with the Canucks by way of a seven-year, $7.3 million AAV contract.

Deal details | Signing grade


Parker Kelly will continue his career with the Avalanche, agreeing to terms on a four-year contract with a $1.7 million AAV.


Veteran forward Colin Blackwell will be returning to the Stars, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with a $775,000 AAV.


Christian Dvorak has moved on from the Canadiens, agreeing to a one-year, $5.4 million contract with the Flyers.

Deal details


Noah Juulsen, welcome to Philly! The Flyers have inked the 28-year-old defenseman to a one-year, $900,000 deal.


Defenseman Ryan Johnson is sticking with the Sabres, agreeing to terms on a three-year deal with a $775,000 AAV.


The top-rated goaltender slated to hit free agency this offseason will not make it to market; Jake Allen is back with the Devils via a five-year contract with a $1.8 million AAV.

Deal details | Signing grade


Veteran offensive defenseman Tony DeAngelo will be back with the Islanders for 2025-26, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $1.75 million contract.

June 30

The Red Wings will be continuing their relationship with veteran forward Patrick Kane, inking a one-year, $3 million extension.

Deal details | Signing grade


The band is getting back together. After re-upping with Sam Bennett last week, the Panthers re-signed both Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand on Monday.

Deal details | Signing grade


Rumors of a Mitch Marner trade popped up during draft weekend, and they came to fruition Monday, as the Maple Leafs inked Marner to an eight-year, $12 million average annual value extension, then traded him to the Golden Knights for Nicolas Roy.

Deal details | Trade grades


The Oilers will not be allowing one of their promising young players to leave via offer sheet, as they signed restricted free agent defenseman Evan Bouchard to a four-year, $10.5 million AAV contract.

Deal details | Signing grade


Veteran defenseman Ivan Provorov would have been one of the most sought-after blueliners on the free agent market. Instead, he’ll be back with the Blue Jackets for the foreseeable future, agreeing to a seven-year, $8.5 million AAV deal.

Deal details | Signing grade

Continue Reading

Sports

Springer’s 7 RBIs help Jays pile on Yankees late

Published

on

By

Springer's 7 RBIs help Jays pile on Yankees late

George Springer had a career-high seven RBIs, including his ninth grand slam, and the Toronto Blue Jays celebrated Canada Day by beating the Yankees 12-5 on Tuesday and closing within one game of American League East-leading New York.

The seven RBIs are tied for the second most by any Blue Jays player in a home game, behind Edwin Encarnación (nine RBIs in 2015), according to ESPN Research.

Andrés Giménez had a go-ahead, three-run homer for the Blue Jays, who overcame a 2-0 deficit against Max Fried. After the Yankees tied the score 4-4 in the seventh, Toronto broke open the game in the bottom half against a reeling Yankees bullpen.

Springer went 3-for-4, starting the comeback with a solo homer in the fourth against Fried and boosting the lead to 9-5 with the slam off Luke Weaver after Ernie Clement‘s go-ahead single off shortstop Anthony Volpe‘s glove. Springer has 13 homers this season.

Toronto won the first two games of the four-game series and closed within one game of the Yankees for the first time since before play on April 20.

New York went 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 3-for-24 in the series, while the Blue Jays were 5-for-7. After going 13-14 in June, the Yankees fell to 10-14 against AL East rivals.

The Associate Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Astros’ Alvarez to see hand specialist after setback

Published

on

By

Astros' Alvarez to see hand specialist after setback

DENVER — Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has experienced a setback in his recovery from a broken right hand and will see a specialist.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez felt pain when he arrived Tuesday at the team’s spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he had a workout a day earlier. Alvarez also took batting practice Saturday at Daikin Park.

He will be shut down until he’s evaluated by the specialist.

“It’s a tough time going through this with Yordan, but I know that he’s still feeling pain and the soreness in his hand,” Brown said before Tuesday night’s series opener at Colorado, which the Astros won 6-5. “We’re not going to try to push it or force him through anything. We’re just going to allow him to heal and get a little bit more answers as to what steps we take next.”

Alvarez has been sidelined for nearly two months. The injury was initially diagnosed as a muscle strain, but when Alvarez felt pain again while hitting in late May, imaging revealed a small fracture.

The 28-year-old outfielder, who has hit 31 homers or more in each of the past four seasons, had been eyeing a return as soon as this weekend at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now it’s uncertain when he’ll play.

“We felt like he was close because he had felt so good of late,” Brown said, “but this is certainly news that we didn’t want.”

Also Tuesday, the Astros officially placed shortstop Jeremy Peña on the 10-day injured list with a fractured rib and recalled infielder Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land.

Continue Reading

Trending