IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2005, I went to an NHL game for the first time ever. I was with 2 friends (I’m still friends with one!) because her brother got back seats via his job. It was October 15, I was a freshman in college, and I did not know what was to come.
To give a sense of the passage of time: The New York Rangers were playing the Atlanta Thrashers and would win 5-1. The following individuals scored for the Rangers: Rucinsky, Ortmeyer, Rucchin, Nylander, and Nieminen. The Thrashers goal was Ilya Kovalchuk.
We didn’t know ANYTHING about the Rangers so prior to the game we decided to select our “favorite” players (I think someone picked Rosival). I, being a clown, decided I was going to stan who I understood to be the back up goalie. As a joke.
IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when I got to the game and learned that the starting goalie, Kevin Weekes, was not playing, and actually my beloved back up goalie would be in. This was obviously Henrik Lundqvist, but again I did not KNOW.
So despite not really knowing anything about the team, we watched this game and I was like 






about this goalie I knew nothing about except that I could tell he was GOOD.








And if I’m recalling correctly this was Henrik’s first time playing at MSG and the crowd honestly went wild for him at the end. “I would like to see more of this guy,” I thought, again not understanding the gravity of my decisions.
So after that game I continued watching Rangers games. And my theory of “hey this guy is good” was confirmed. He even got bumped up to starting goalie. And now here we all are 15 years later! Saying goodbye!
Here are some shitty photos I took with a shitty digital camera in 2005. I could not have predicted JOURNEY this game would lead me on.
The point is: if you are currently subjected to my horrible content On Here, you can blame Henrik Lundqvist. It is his fault.