Frolunda HC postpones event honoring all-time great

Frolunda HC, the club where New York Ranger great and future Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist got his start has announced they are postponing a tribute night to the all-time great which was scheduled to take place on January 8th. The postponement comes as the Swedish government, which dealt with praise and criticism for its relatively hands-off handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, has recently announced more restrictions in an effort to deal with the Omicron variant and an expected winter spike in infections.

Mats Graeurs, the club's chairman commented that the club regrets having to postpone the event but promised to make it up a later date.

Lundqvist began playing for the junior version of the club in 1998, when it was known as Vastra Frolunda HC. After moving on the main club, he played there for parts of five seasons. He won the Honken Award as the best goalie of the SHL (Eliteserien) for three years straight (2003,2004,2005). In 2005, he also won the Guldhjalmen Award (MVP) as well the Guldpucken Award (MVP as voted on by players.)

Lundqvist made the move to the Rangers for the 2005-06 (the team had drafted him in the 7th round in 2000, 205th overall). In 2006 he won an Olympic Gold Medal with Sweden. In his spectacular career, played entirely with the Rangers, Lundqvist compiled 459 wins, with a 2.43 GAA ,a 0.918 SV%, and 64 shutouts. He ranks 6th all-time in NHL wins, 25th in GAA (among goalies with at least 200 games played), 10th in SV%, and 17th in shutouts.

In his first 10 years in the league, Lundqvist was no lower than 6th in the Vezina Trophy voting. He won the coveted trophy only once, in 2012, the same year he finished third in the Hart Trophy voting behind winner Evgeni Malkin and Steven Stamkos. In addition to his Olympic Gold, Lundqvist also owns an Olympic Silver medal, and World Championship Gold medal and two World Championship Silver medals. He also holds the Olympics record for most consecutive minutes without allowing a goal with a streak of 172 minutes and 34 seconds.

He is the only goaltender in NHL history to have at least 30 wins in each of his first seven seasons in the league.

Official Frolunda HC Site

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