Henrik Lundqvist Reveals the 3 Best Leaders He Played With

Three players stood out for Henrik Lundqvist as the best leaders he played with.

Nov 25, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Former New York Rangers goalie and recent Hockey Hall of Fame Henrik Lundqvist smiles during a ceremony with his daughter before the first period of a game between the Rangers and Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Henrik Lundqvist accomplished a lot during his playing career with the New York Rangers, sharing the ice with some incredible players.

He was in the NHL for 15 years, putting together a remarkable career that eventually landed him in the Hall of Fame. Now, he is working with TNT as an analyst in the studio, providing insight throughout the season.

Most recently, he expanded on his post-playing career resume, writing a story for Peak, which covers the mental side of sports with The Athletic (subscription required). He wrote a story detailing the three best leaders that he had the pleasure of sharing the ice with during his career.

The first player he mentioned was Jaromir Jagr, a forward who was acquired from the Washington Capitals on Jan. 23, 2004, in exchange for Anson Carter. Lundqvist detailed vividly how Jagr approached being the main guy for the Rangers following the lockout in 2005.

Jaromir Jagr was first example of leadership for Henrik Lundqvist

Feb 10 2008; Washington, DC, USA; New York Rangers right wing Jaromir Jagr (68) in action against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Washington won the game 3-2. / James Lang-Imagn Images

“I looked up to him because of the way he handled it, and I think he gave the group a lot of confidence because of the way he handled it. He was not the most vocal guy, but you could see that he put that pressure on himself to carry the team,” the Hall of Fame goalie wrote.

Lundqvist shared a story of Jagr playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The fans were relentless, targeting him because he had left their franchise as a free agent. Booed heavily, he left the ice in the middle of the game, and Lundqvist remembers the energy level of the team dropping.

But he ended up returning to the lineup and scored a hat trick. Throughout their time together, Jagr approached the game like a true professional, keeping his body in remarkable shape. It helped set in stone how important leadership was to Lundqvist early in his career.

The second player he mentioned wasn’t a member of the Blueshirts. Instead, it was Mats Sundin, the captain of the Swedish national team.

“But with Mats, there was just something about his energy. When he walked into a room, I could feel it. When he spoke, everybody listened. There was just so much respect for him,” he wrote.

Mats Sundin, Martin St. Louis exemplified leadership

May 29, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis (26) warms up before game seven of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Lundqvist remembers when Sweden won the Olympic gold medal in 2006, and the players wanted to return to Sweden to celebrate with the fans. But, there were complications because there was not much time between that and the NHL season restarting.

Sundin convinced someone that they were heading back to Stockholm to celebrate with their fans, and that is what occurred. And it is exactly why he was the captain of the team and was viewed in such high regard by Lundqvist.

Last but not least in his top three is another New York forward: Martin St. Louis. The goaltender was viewed as a leader himself, but he respected what the fellow future Hall of Famer brought to the Rangers from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“The way he spoke in the locker room just brought a lot of confidence to the group. That run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 was very special. He lost his mom in the series against Pittsburgh. Then he came back and scored on Mother’s Day,” wrote Lundqvist.

Whenever the team needed to have its spirits lifted, St. Louis had the answer to do it. It comes as no surprise to the goaltender that his former teammate is now finding success as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.