TORONTO — Henrik Lundqvist knew the decision — if it was certainly coming — would gentle up his telephone within the early night.
The previous New York Rangers goalie was dwelling in Sweden. The Hockey Corridor of Fame’s choice committee was busy in Toronto paring down its 2023 record.
Lundqvist finally noticed a quantity he didn’t acknowledge.
The one drawback? It learn “Spain.”
“It simply didn’t make sense with the caller ID,” Lundqvist recalled pondering again in June.
Nonetheless, he determined to reply. Corridor of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald was on the opposite finish.
The 2012 Vezina Trophy winner because the NHL’s prime netminder headlines the category set to be inducted Monday evening.
“Very humbling,” Lundqvist mentioned Friday on the ring ceremony. “An awesome feeling once you’re strolling away from the sport.”
He might be joined by Mike Vernon, Tom Barrasso, Pierre Turgeon and Caroline Ouellette as a part of a goalie-heavy participant class. Former NHL coach Ken Hitchcock and the late Pierre Lacroix, who was each an agent and government, will go in as builders.
A star netminder within the league for 15 seasons, Lundqvist was chosen in his first yr of eligibility. He’s sixth in NHL historical past in wins (459), ninth in video games (887) and seventeenth in shutouts (64).
These 459 victories are essentially the most by a European goalie. The primary Swedish goaltender to be inducted, Lundqvist received 61 extra instances within the playoffs earlier than his profession resulted in 2020 due to a coronary heart situation.
Chosen within the seventh spherical by New York on the 2000 NHL draft, he backstopped the Rangers to the 2014 Stanley Cup closing. He received Olympic gold with Sweden in 2006.
“That is form of the final hurrah,” Lundqvist mentioned. “Extraordinarily proud and grateful.”
Vernon received the Cup along with his hometown Calgary Flames in 1989 and the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 — including the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP with that second title.
Barrasso received each the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the yr and the Vezina throughout a magical 1983-84 season with the Buffalo Sabres out of highschool as a phenom from the Boston space. He received titles with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992.
Turgeon had 515 objectives and 812 assists in 19 NHL seasons. The previous New York Islanders star was the captain of the Montreal Canadiens within the staff’s closing season on the Montreal Discussion board.
Hitchcock, fourth on the NHL victories record with 849, received the Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999 in a 22-season profession behind NHL benches.
Lacroix, who died in December 2020 at age 72, was an agent earlier than being named basic supervisor of the Quebec Nordiques in 1994. He moved with the franchise when it relocated to Colorado.
Ouellette received 4 Olympic gold medals with Canada’s ladies’s staff.
