Henrik Lundqvist spent 15 seasons with the New York Rangers (and one with the Washington Capitals), establishing himself as one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. On Sunday, he accomplished something that he never managed during his playing career.
The 44-year-old Hockey Hall of Famer scored a goalie goal in the Rangers’ Alumni Classic at Madison Square Garden. The event was held as part of the franchise’s centennial celebrations.
Henrik Lundqvist goalie goal
With Team Blue up 7-5 late in the second half of the game and Team White’s goalie pulled, Lundqvist made a glove save on former Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith. He then made the most selfish play of his career, taking a few strides out from the crease, dropping the puck, and then sending a shot down the rink into the opposing net as Carl Hagelin could be seen laughing.
Another angle via @jlazzy23/X
To celebrate, Lundqvist raised his stick and pumped his arms in the crease. Then, after some encouragement, he went down and did the fist-bump line at the team’s bench.
Former Rangers broadcasters Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti did the play-by-play of the moment, with Micheletti joking, “Igor who?” after Lundqvist scored. Igor Shesterkin scored a goalie goal on October 1 before being lost for the season on October 9, when he suffered a lower-body injury in a game against the Capitals.
Ahead of the game, Lundqvist joked to Forever Blueshirts’ Jonny Lazarus that “I think I practiced three times over the past 12 months, so I feel like I’m in great shape.”
Lundqvist was one of several Rangers legends to participate in the game, including Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Adam Graves, Sean Avery, and Darius Kasparaitis. He was also one of three former Capitals to participate, including Hagelin and Tom Poti.
New York Rangers Alumni Classic rosters
Team Centennial Roster
| Player | Player |
|---|---|
| Adam Graves | Aaron Voros |
| Boo Nieves | Brian Mullen |
| Dan Girardi | Derek Dorsett |
| Derek Stepan | Henrik Lundqvist |
| Joe Kocur | Jesper Fast |
| Kevin Shattenkirk | Marc Staal |
| Mark Messier* | Mike Richter |
| Sean Avery | Tom Poti |
Coaches: Ron Greschner and Tony Granato
Team Classic Roster
| Player | Player |
|---|---|
| Anton Stralman | Brandon Prust |
| Brendan Burke | Brendan Smith |
| Brian Noonan | Carl Hagelin |
| Colton Orr | Darius Kasparaitis |
| Darren Langdon | Derick Brassard |
| John Moore | Jody Shelley |
| Mark Messier* | Michael Del Zotto |
| Ryan Callahan | Tanner Glass |
Coaches: Marian Gaborik and Nick Fotiu
One of the more humorous moments occurred when Messier nearly set up Richter, one of the team’s all-time great goaltenders, for a backdoor goal. Richter was playing out as a skater during the game.
According to Rangers Reddit, Boo Nieves scored a hat trick in Team Blue’s 8-5 win over Team White.
