Rangers buy out Lundqvist's contract, ending reign as ‘King’ in NY

The 38-year-old Swedish icon brought the Rangers back to prominence beginning in the 2005-06 season and had been the face of the franchise ever since.

News 12 Staff

Sep 30, 2020, 9:32 PM

Updated 1,465 days ago

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The New York Rangers announced Wednesday that they bought out the final year on the contract for Henrik Lundqvist, who has served as the netminder for the past 15 seasons.
The 38-year-old Swedish icon brought the Rangers back to prominence beginning in the 2005-06 season and had been the face of the franchise ever since.
“We would like to thank Henrik for his immeasurable contributions to the New York Rangers,” said Rangers President and Alternate Governor John Davidson in prepared remarks. “From the time I met Henrik when he first came to New York in 2005, he has been the consummate professional. His tireless work ethic, passion for the game, and love of the Rangers and New York City enabled him to become one of the greatest goaltenders in hockey and one of the best players in the history of our franchise. We all wish Henrik and his family the best going forward.”
All told, Lundqvist earned 50 franchise records, including all-time wins, appearances by a goaltender, shutouts, save percentage, playoff appearances (130), playoff wins (61), playoff shutouts (10), and playoff save percentage (min. 10 appearances – .921).
His 459 wins is currently sixth in NHL history.
Off the ice, Lundqvist became the official spokesperson for the Garden of Dreams Foundation in January of 2009 and has raised millions for children over the course of his career.
It’s not yet clear if “King Henrik” will be offered a contract with another team.