SUNRISE, Fla. — When you’re a sports fan, indulging in good memories is a favorite pastime. And when you’re a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, those memories are particularly special, given that no franchise has won the Stanley Cup more often in the past 40 years.
The Sidney Crosby era has blessed fans with an abundance of good times. But ask yourself this: What would this era have been without the imposing, unforgettable presence of Patric Gösta Hörnqvist?
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In a lovely touch by the Florida Panthers, Patric Hörnqvist Night will take place on Friday before the home team takes on the team that made Hörnqvist famous. Or, maybe he made the Penguins a little bit more famous.
Hörnqvist, rugged competitor that he was, absorbed so much abuse to his body that he was forced to retire. No surprise there. It’s also no surprise that the Penguins, who are otherwise in a collectively bad mood these days, are downright giddy to see their old friend on Friday.
“I just love that guy,” Jake Guentzel said. “You could learn a lot about hockey if you pay attention to him.”
You can learn a lot about life, too.
Hörnqvist remains one of the most beloved figures to ever pass through the Penguins locker room. Ask Crosby about him, and he gets a big smile on his face. Same with Bryan Rust and Kris Letang.
Coach Mike Sullivan, whose mood on this trip has been understandably frustrated, took a few minutes during his meeting with the media on Thursday to reenact a story about Hörnqvist’s tendency to destroy water bottles when a shift didn’t go to his liking.
Coach Sullivan on honoring Hornqvist tomorrow: "I don't know that there's a more positive guy on the planet than Horny. He had an energy about him that was contagious. Every day when he walked into the rink, it was a great day – and I always loved that about him." pic.twitter.com/m03cGOW3yu
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 7, 2023
The coach couldn’t help but smile when thinking about his old player.
Everything about Hörnqvist’s presence is missing from the Penguins these days.
He wasn’t one for dropping the gloves — another famous Swede who became a Penguins icon, Ulf Samuelsson, was the same — but when someone would cause trouble with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin or Letang, Hörnqvist was there.
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When Crosby couldn’t play against the Capitals in Game 4 of the classic 2016 playoff series against Washington because of a concussion, Hörnqvist was there to score on a breakaway to jump-start what had been a staggered Penguins team.
When no one else could solve Nashville’s airtight defense in Game 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, Hörnqvist took it upon himself to use brute force.
I can’t tell you how many nights, after a particularly poor showing, loads of media members would create a semi-circle around Crosby and Malkin’s lockers to hear their thoughts on the evening. Such is the burden on Hall of Famers. And on so many of those occasions, Hörnqvist would stand in front of them and say, “Come to my locker. Come talk to me about it. Leave them alone. They don’t need to do all the talking. Come over here.”
We always listened to him. Who wouldn’t?
The fellow Stanley Cup champions who remain in that locker room swear by Hörnqvist. For all of Jim Rutherford’s memorable and important trades, the best he ever made was dealing James Neal to Nashville for Hörnqvist. Neal had more talent. Hörnqvist, though, was precisely what the Penguins needed. He had substance. A warrior mentality. The Penguins were so gifted but had developed a weak mental side, having lost seven straight postseason overtime games before the 2016 playoffs.
That streak ended in Game 4 against the Capitals. Hörnqvist was the man who ended it.
As the years evolve, players like Hörnqvist don’t really exist as much.
“When I came into the league, there were a few,” Erik Karlsson said. “Not anymore.”
Stylistically speaking, Karlsson and Hörnqvist couldn’t have been more different. Hörnqvist didn’t have as much skill but used force and determination to get his way.
Karlsson almost floats on the ice in full flight. He’s one of the most talented players of his generation.
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It’s funny, then, that these two have played against each other a handful of times during summer scrimmages in Sweden. Karlsson laughs uncontrollably when talking about Hörnqvist during those meetings.
“We never played together on club teams,” Karlsson said. “Played in tournaments together. International. One of a kind, that guy.”
The bruises from those summer practices run deep, apparently.
“Playing against him was a b—-,” Karlsson said. “A b—-. You can’t even skate with him in the summer. You really can’t. You are literally his enemy if you’re wearing a different jersey, even in a summer practice. And let me tell you, that was awesome. There aren’t competitors like him out there anymore. There just aren’t. Look around. You won’t see one.”
Hörnqvist was famously the last pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, the same year Crosby was selected first.
It was fitting, then, that Crosby blocked a shot and found Hörnqvist one night long ago in San Jose. Hörnqvist finished it off into an empty net to end a seven-year Stanley Cup drought for the Penguins.
“Horny did what he had to do to stay in the league,” Karlsson explained. “Then he would go overboard and slash you. Do a little extra.”
It must be a little chilling for the Penguins who remain from the glory years to be in Sunrise. When you watch the Penguins these days, what do you see? A team that plays without much passion. A team that possesses almost zero physicality. A team that can’t score on the power play. A team with almost no net-front presence. A team that has become easy to play against.
You walk into the locker room after rough losses, and sometimes the only players who remain are Crosby, Malkin and Letang. No buffers. No one who commands so much respect that he can alleviate some of that burden from the big guys.
Hörnqvist was precisely what the Penguins required a decade ago. He’s still what they need, even if the Stanley Cup runs appear to be in the rearview mirror.
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Sometimes, it’s nice to look in the past, even if it’s a mere distraction from the present. The Penguins will be afforded that privilege for a few minutes tonight.
Maybe it will inspire them to play a good hockey game, to snap out of their funk, to be the team they’re capable of. Hörnqvist’s mere presence always seemed to produce that.
(Top photo: Joel Auerbach / Getty Images)
