Long Live The King Part 3

Kevin Woodley | September 21, 2021 | 7 min read

Lundqvist retired sixth on the NHL all-time wins list with 459 victories and is a future Hockey Hall of Fame inductee.
The Lundqvist Loop — a small tab on the heel of the skate replacing the traditional boot strap through the cowling — was first used by Lundqvist on October 20, 2011.
Raising pad placement higher on the skate helps pads rise up the leg in the butterfly, improving 5-hole coverage and preventing pad slip-out in a low, wide stance.
Every major goalie skate manufacturer now includes a version of the Lundqvist Loop as standard equipment, cementing his legacy in the sport's gear design.
Lundqvist's equipment innovation began three years before the loop itself, when he changed his boot strap setup in 2008-09 to experiment with higher pad positioning.

~ When InGoal Magazine began reflecting on the career of Henrik Lundqvist after he announced his retirement Friday following heart surgery that kept him out of the NHL last season, it was hard to know where to start but clear it would take more than one story. We began where his playing partners all suggested, by celebrating Lundqvist’s ferocious work ethic and dedication to his craft, a great lesson for all goalies that the ones who make it look easy rarely take it easy in practice. In Part 2, we look at Lundqvist’s role in his native Sweden, where he inspired the next generation of goaltenders. Today, we wrap things up with a belated look at how he influenced equipment.

Henrik Lundqvist’s name will always be remembered in the game of hockey, and not just because of his place on the NHL’s all-time win list (he retired in sixth place with 459), or eventual enshrinement into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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