Gothenburg. It was celebrated by 12,044 spectators in a packed Scandinavian area.
– It feels great to be standing here. Incredibly nice to see and hear you again. Scandinavia is a special place for me, Henrik Lundqvist tells the audience.
Back on the old ice, just over 17 years after leaving Frölunda and Scandinavium, Henrik Lundqvist returned to be applauded by his old fans before the match against Rögle.
The tribute really started before the warm-up, when all of Frölunda’s players came out wearing jerseys with the number 35 and “Lundqvist” on the back. Half an hour before release, it’s time for the tribute that Scandinavia has sold out for months.. Long film sequence, with photos from childhood, debut in Frölunda, SM gold, Three Kronor Gold and success in the New York Rangers, then the tribute begins before Lundqvist appears He welcomed himself onto the ice as old teammates such as Tomi Kallio, Magnus Johansson, Magnus Kahnberg, Niklas Andersson, Christian Bäckman and Patrik Carnbäck and longtime veteran coaches such as Conny Evenson and Jan Karlsson welcomed him. The audience greeted him with a standing ovation that lasted for several minutes.
– You, Henrik, are the best goalkeeper in Sweden ever. And he made a good advertisement for Swedish ice hockey, says Gold coach Evensson before showing video greetings from Jørgen Johnson, old teammate and opposite player from Rogl and Vargestad, Bjorn Bergetoft, senior coach at Järben, Mikael Hammarström, coach of the boys’ team. in Rögle before brother Joel Lundqvist goes out on the ice.
– Now we stand here together again on the ice of Scandinavia. I am so proud and happy to stand here today as part of your tribute. Our shared childhood dream of playing for this club has come true. Your years at the club are historic. To be able to stand here today and close the circle a little bit is very special and emotional. Your importance to the club, the fans, the city and, not least to me, is difficult to sum up in a few words. I owe you so much.
He was subsequently praised by the Swedish Hockey Federation with Chairman Anders Larsson and Goalkeeper Coach at Tre Kronor Stefan Ladd, Rogl’s team captain Anton Bengson, Lundqvist’s parent club Järpens IF and of course also Frölunda.
In addition, Rögle’s heels stole the show for a short while, when they raised a large overhead flag with Lundqvist’s picture and the text “He has the heart in Rögle”, an occurrence not entirely uncommon with house heels.
At Rögle, Lundqvist played for a few boys and junior seasons, but the great career took off at Frölunda. It started in the fall of 2000. During training games in August, 18-year-old Henrik Lundqvist came out of nowhere and made the club’s management, fans and experienced hockey reporters roll their eyes. According to the original plans, Frölunda’s goalkeeper line-up was former crowd favorites Håkan Algotsson and Pat Jablonski, but then Frölunda coach Tommy Boustedt had to think long and hard.
That season there were only four matches for Lundqvist, but in the coming years no one could stop him. In 2002/03 he was the first goalkeeper when the club won its first SM gold since 1965. And when the NHL stars conquered Elitserien during the 2004/05 close season, it was instead he who stepped forward as the biggest star of the series. . During the playoffs, he kept six clean sheets and conceded an average of 1.05 goals per game as Frölunda once again became champions of Sweden.
That was the last thing he did with Frolunda’s shirt. In the summer of 2005, the move passed across the Atlantic and then waited 18 seasons in the New York Rangers.
But he never forgot Gothenburg, and the citizens of Gothenburg never forgot their star goalkeeper. He wouldn’t wear a high-top shirt, seven seasons is three seasons too little for that. But along with his twin brother Joel, he is one of the most beloved Frölunda viewers of all time.
– I’ve played at the club for seven seasons, but it seems I’ve been a Frölundait member for 30 years. He says you will always have an incredibly big place in my heart.
