On Friday, Lundqvist and the opposite inductees have been personally known for his or her respective achievements all over a rite hosted throughout the iconic Grand Hall of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Every inductee used to be welcomed to the degree and offered with a Hall of Fame ring and plaque, which can be displayed throughout the Grand Hall.
After, the inductees every took a couple of mins to replicate on their accomplishments and speak about what the weekend of festivities method to them and their family members.
“It’s an opportunity to reflect on your career,” Lundqvist mentioned. “The things you experienced, the people you met along the way – it’s so many people – it makes you happy thinking of all the fun times as a hockey player. And not only on the ice, but also away from the game and what the game brought you. You managed to reach a level where you could live your dream and play in the NHL. I’m so extremely grateful for that.”
Having grown up in Åre, Sweden – a ski the city with a inhabitants of simply over 3,000 other folks – and now having cemented his legacy as one of the best-ever very best goaltenders in historical past, Lundqvist described this revel in as “surreal.”
At one time, the theory of enjoying within the NHL gave the impression far-fetched to a tender Lundqvist, who ceaselessly couldn’t keep up overdue sufficient to observe video games on TV. But sooner or later, Lundqvist made that dream a fact. He used to be drafted within the 7th spherical (205th total) of the 2000 NHL Draft, and from there, he made essentially the most of a possibility, and the remaining is historical past.
“Growing up in Sweden in the late ’80s, it was hard to watch the NHL at times,” Lundqvist mentioned. “As I become older, I began being attentive to the NHL and having a look up to a few of the nice goalies over right here. As a Swede coming over, clearly I had my function fashions like Tommy Salo, who performed right here for a few years – however again house, it used to be a large deal to return [to the NHL], no query about it. So to face right here nowadays feels truly particular.”