Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: New York Rangers goaltender from 2005-2020. Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023. Only goaltender in NHL history to record eleven 30-win seasons in his first twelve seasons – holds the record for most wins by a European-born goaltender in the NHL.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 194 pounds
DOB: March 2, 1982 In: Are, Sweden
Hockey Inspirations: “Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek. My first idol was a Swedish goalie, Peter Lindmark.”
Nicknames: “Lunkan – over here I have a lot of nicknames – it’s Lundy, it’s Hank, what else – Henke. King.”
Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “I like to play music; play guitar – I love that. Play some golf and tennis in the summer. Just relax, enjoy the summer. That’s nice.”
Favorite Movies: “Well, Gladiator is a good movie – Russell Crowe. Wedding Crashers is a good movie, too.”
Musical Tastes: “I listen to all kinds of music. The Calling, Blink 182, Bruce Springsteen, I mean, it’s everything.”
First Hockey Memory: “Well, I remember my first two games (age nine) – I let in 30 goals. I will never forget that [smiles]. We lost 12-2 and 18-0.”
First Job: “I cut grass during the summer at a soccer field.”
First Car: “I think it was a (silver) BMW convertible.”
Favorite Meal: “Oh, I love a Big Mac at McDonalds.”
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “I don’t know, you have so many options over here. What can it be? When I grew up, I always ate Frosties Kelloggs. Frosties – do you have that over here?” (Frosted Flakes.)
Pre-Game Feeling: “Just try to focus on my game, what I’m going to think of when I get out there. And visualize different sequences when the shooter comes in. How I will react and just stop the puck.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “I would say winning the Olympic gold medal (2006 for Sweden).”
Most Painful Moment: “When I was 14 we played a final and I let in a really easy goal in sudden death. And we lost the final. That’s a goal I probably will never forget. It was tough. At that time.”
Favorite Arena To Play: “The Garden.”
Funny Hockey Memory: “When Jason Strudwick scored in the shootout a few years ago. I think it was round 13 or something. And he was so happy he started banging the glass with his gloves and stick. I started laughing out there. It was pretty fun.”
Embarrassing Hockey Memory: “Yeah, when I was young we lost a real important game. And I was really frustrated. So I was going to throw the water bottle in the bench after the game. And somehow it got stuck in my hand, so I threw it up in the stands. And it hit an old man in the head. And he was very, very upset after the game. So that was very embarrassing.”
Closest NHL Friends: “Well, on other teams, my brother (Joel). Alex Steen’s a good friend. On the Rangers, I like a lot of the guys on the team. Michael Nylander when he was here, of course. He took care of me on the team. Darius Kasparaitis was really good to me when I was a new guy. He helped me out a lot.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “Kasparaitis was pretty funny in the locker room. He talks a lot, you laugh a lot. I would say him.”
Favorite Uniforms: “I like our’s. It looks good.”
Favorite Vacation Spot: “Somewhere warm. I’ve been to Mexico and Dominican Republic. I would love to go to Thailand. Thailand is my next goal I think.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty.”
