Henrik Lundqvist sums up his new life in one word.
To describe what has been, it requires more than that.
– I never thought about putting family or friends first. It was secondary the whole time, says the hockey legend.
Henrik Lundqvist appears in both SVT and TV4 this winter.
Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT / TT NEWS AGENCY
The article in brief
Henrik Lundqvist is current as an expert on TV4 and SVT during the Olympics in February.
He has been living in New York for 20 years, and has no plans to move back to Sweden.
Life after the playing career has meant more focus on being with family and friends.
It is autumn and Henrik Lundqvist is on a quick visit to Stockholm due to the Winter Olympics in February, where he will be on site as an expert on both SVT and TV4.
Only that is extremely rare.
Not the fact that he is seen on television – he often does so in American TNT Sports and MSG Network broadcasts – but that he is in Sweden this year.
– My life is over there. The children go to school there and my job is over there, so there won’t be many turns, he says.
Usually it will be two months with the whole family in Sweden in the summer, and a shorter stay over Christmas. So also this year when the family’s Christmas is spent in Gothenburg.
– It’s always great to come home. It is very important for us to meet friends and family and for the children to experience Swedish culture. It’s always lovely. But we are happy in New York. That’s where life is and the focus is, says Henrik Lundqvist.
Reveals the conversations with Tre Kronor
“Henke” moved there as a 23-year-old in 2005 and spent his entire career with the New York Rangers before retiring in 2021 due to a congenital heart defect.
But even when his career ended, the hockey legend, nicknamed the “King of New York” by his fans, saw no reason to move.
Will you stay there forever?
– I don’t know. We don’t look too far ahead. Right here and now it feels right. Life can change quickly, you don’t know how you will look at things in five, ten years. But as long as we feel the way we do about New York and the life we have there, we will remain.
Henrik Lundqvist with the star-studded team that won Olympic gold in Turin 2006.
Photo: Daniel Nilsson / BILDBYRÅN
Will there be another Swedish Olympic gold celebration in February?
Photo: NILS PETTER NILSSON / TT NEWS AGENCY
From a distance, Lundqvist has followed Tre Kronor’s matches under national team captain Sam Hallam. The Olympics and WC will be his last attempt at a gold medal before Rikard Grönborg takes over.
– Sweden can go all the way, says Henrik Lundqvist.
– I think it is important regardless of who is coaching that you are responsive. Many NHL players are used to how to prepare. It is important to try to have a similar setup when it comes to a tournament, it can be small details. Now you have many old players around the team who can talk about such things.
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Have you yourself been asked about getting a role in Tre Kronor?
– There have been discussions in previous years about coming up with advice and such. But if you are going to do it, you want to be able to give it a lot of time and get involved. I have so many other things now in New York, they have the right guys in place.
Changed behavior at home
For Henrik Lundqvist, the right place means being closer to family with wife Therese and daughters Charlise, 13, and Juli, 10.
He answers lightning fast and with a single word when asked how his life has changed compared to when he was a player.
– Time.
More time?
– More time. To do what you want and prioritize differently. Hockey always came first. I never thought of putting family or friends first. It was secondary all along. Now I can prioritize in a completely different way.
So what are your priorities now?
– It’s family and friends, having fun and finding a good balance in life with work and doing things that you really want. So far it has worked very well.
Therese Lundqvist with husband Henrik Lundqvist.
Foto: Dylan Travis / STELLA PICTURES/DDP/ABACA
Henrik Lundqvist shared pictures from the summer in Sweden with the children.
Photo: Instagram
Henrik Lundqvist tells us that it is not just a difference in that he can be mer with his wife and children, but also how he is with them.
– I am much more present. Now that I’m at home, I don’t go around thinking so much about matches or performances. When I played, you thought much more about how it went yesterday or the match that is tomorrow, he says.
– Now you are much more harmonious and that also reflects the feeling at home.
You are in a better mood?
– Yes, a much more even mood above all. At the same time I could like that too, it was more extreme with high peaks and deep valleys. But it affected you when things didn’t go well and you lived under that pressure.
