The draw for Henrik Lundqvist was more than that, though — the tournament was a chance to play with Joel for the first time in 12 years. “We had always played together growing up, but a few years ago I thought, ‘You know, we will probably never play together again,’” Joel says. “And then this came along, very fast. I mean, just the week before the tournament, I didn’t even know that I was on the team — they hadn’t set the roster. When they called, I thought it was just to say that I made the team, and they told me I was captain. I went from here…”



Joel holds a hand at waist level.



“…to here.”

He moves his hand up to eye level.



“And then when Henrik told me that he was coming, I went like this.”



Joel raises his hand as high as it will go.



“It was incredible — a great experience, something you cannot plan on.”

Unexpected twists have been a recurring theme in the career of Joel Lundqvist. Like many who play only briefly in the NHL, he had a couple of bad breaks at the worst possible times. Like many, the curtain fell fast for him. Other men who’ve lived that experience don’t conceal their bitterness about the unfairness of it all; some try unconvincingly to cover it up. But Joel Lundqvist’s story is the farthest thing from hard-luck — not as he tells it and not as you read it sitting across from him. In fact, if he had become a star in the NHL, it would be hard to imagine him any more content.