In a country that averages sub-zero temperatures between December and February each year, it’s unsurprising that Sweden is a hotbed (pun intended) of talent when it comes to ice hockey.
With an abundance of top players available, many opt to go to the best hockey league in the world in order to ply their trade: the NHL. Below, we’ll take a look at seven of the most Swedish NHL players of all-time.
7) Daniel Alfredsson
Alfredsson retired in 2014 after a glittering NHL career in which he scored 1021 points in 1053 games while making the All-Star team on four occasions.
He spent a remarkable 17 seasons in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators, before his final season came with the Detroit Red Wings. In 2006, he was part of the Sweden team that won gold at the Winter Olympics in Turin.
6) Erik Karlsson
At the age of 27, Erik Karlsson is one of the best Swedish players in the NHL right now and was the 15th overall draft in 2008, joining Ottawa Senators – the team he now captains. He is one of the best defensive players in the NHL and was part of the NHL All-Star team in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2018. So if you’re betting hos MrGreen on the next Swedish legend – this is your guy.
Karlsson also broke the record for most points for a Swedish defenceman, with 82 in 2015/16.
5) Henrik Zetterberg
After being picked up as a 210th overall draft in his year, Zetterberg will surely go down as one of the greatest drafts steals ever.
On his day, Zetterberg can completely dominate and control a game, something which has seen him be a great player for the Detroit Red Wings for the best part of 15 years.
4) Henrik Lundqvist
Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders the NHL has seen, with the Swedish stopper providing a remarkable level of consistency that has earned him a .918 career save percentage, while also winning at least 30 games a year.
Lundqvist was also a crucial part of the Sweden team that won gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He has been a mainstay in the New York Rangers side for more than a decade.
3) Mats Sundin
Until his retirement in 2009, Mats Sundin wasn’t just one of the best Swedish players in the NHL, but in one of the best players in the NHL full stop.
Sundin was a record-breaking player, becoming the first European born and trained players to be the first pick in the NFL Entry Draft (1989), before tying 21st in the all-time NHL career goals tally (564), and 27th in the all-time career points. He still holds the record for the most career points and goals by a Swedish hockey player.
Furthermore, captained Sweden to Olympic Gold in 2006, and may the NHL All-Star team on no less than nine occasions.
2) Peter Forsberg
Despite suffering numerous injuries throughout his career – largely due to his vigorous style of player – Peter Forsberg was one of the complete players the NHL has seen, dominating most games he played in when fit.
He was 6th overall draft in 1991, signing with Philadelphia Flyer and went on to gain a remarkable 885 points in just 706 games, Forsberg is still ranked 10th in the all-time points-per-game ratios, and was a three-time part of the NHL First All-Star Team.
Forsberg retired in 2011 having won two Olympic golds for Sweden, as well as two Stanley Cups for Colorado Avalanche.
1) Nicklas Lidström
While Forsberg struggled with injuries throughout his career, the same can’t be said for Lidström, who missed just 28 out of 1490 games. Along with Daniel Alfredsson, Daniel Lundqvist and Mats Sundin, he was a member of Sweden’s 2006 gold medal team at the Winter Olympics in Turin.
Widely regarded as the best defenseman of his generation winning seven James Norris Memorial Trophies, Lidström never once missed the playoffs and was a 12-time All-Star, while landing four Stanley Cups becoming the first European born and trained captain to win the trophy.
Lidström retired a legend in 2012, having spent his entire NHL career – spanning three decades – at Detroit Red Wings. In 2015, he inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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