Updated on 09.01 | Published on 08.57
Henrik Lundqvist has become the eighth Swede to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Afterwards, he gave an emotional acceptance speech and left the stage to his own rhyme.
– Thank you for always being there for me, he says to his family.
He addressed father Peter and mother Eva and thanked them for all their support over the years – from the first cuts in Järpen to the biggest stages in the NHL.
– All the hours you spent when you took us to training and matches… It is unbelievable how much you sacrificed for us, he says and continues:
-And my sister Gabriella. We always joke that you’re my biggest supporter but I guess it’s true. And Joel, I can’t say enough about the impact you had on me as a person and as a player. I’ll never forget all the hours we spent together at home in the driveway and out on the ice, dreaming of playing the biggest games. So to win SM gold and WC gold with you is something I will always be proud of.
I started in the sandbox
He thanked his wife, Therese, his daughters, Charlize and Julie, and the entire sport of ice hockey for what it did for him:
– It started with a 7 x 3 meter sandbox in Ari’s kindergarten, and ended up at Madison Square Garden and the Hockey Hall of Fame – it’s an incredible feeling and there’s a lot of love for the sport, he says.
As he thanked himself and left the stage, the classic Henry Ric chant that resonated in Manhattan when he was playing at his best began.
Henrik Lundqvist is the eighth Swede to be inducted into Toronto’s prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame.