Thanks go out to our friends over at ForeverBlueShirts.com for this story as they passed along a report they translated to English that notes goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has plans to eventually return to the New York Rangers.
Johan Rylander of the Göteborgs-Posten got the exclusive interview with Lundqvist who talked about his exit from the Rangers and his decision to try his luck as the backup in Washington this offseason. Admitting that he’ll always think of himself as a Rangers player, it was not his first choice to move on, but he wasn’t done playing. He hopes that fans understand why he made the decision he made.
At the same time, he plans to return one day.
“This is a new chapter (Washington), and I look forward to the test,” Lundqvist noted. But, making sure to say his story would end with the team he played with for so many years, he added, “But I’ll be a part of the Rangers for the rest of my life, in one way or another. Both I and the Rangers have been clear about that. That’s how it will be.”
When asked if that meant he has a job waiting for him within the Rangers organization, he said, “Yes, it will be the role they want it to be.” He said he wasn’t given any idea about what part he’d play, how big it would be or where exactly he would fit, but he noted all of that would be worked out a later date. More specifically, when he was done his playing career.
Lundqvist Considered Leaving the NHL For Frölunda
Before signing on with the Washington Capitals, Lundqvist admitted that he’d considered leaving the league to finish his on-ice hockey career. Foreverblueshirts adds that one rumor was that he would opt to play with his brother Joel for Frölunda. “Yes, all the cards were on the table,” said.
Ultimately, he chose to stay in the NHL and go for a Stanley Cup that has alluded him over a more than decade-long career. He says that door to Frölunda isn’t closed yet either and everything is about timing and opportunity.
The one thing that seems clear is that he’s not near ready to retire. If so, it may be a while before he takes on that Rangers role that is awaiting him.
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