Niklas Hjalmarsson

Niklas Hjalmarsson

Hjalmarsson with the Chicago Blackhawks in December 2014
Born (1987-06-06) 6 June 1987
Eksjö, Sweden
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 93 kg (205 lb; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams
Chicago Blackhawks
HV71
National team  Sweden
NHL Draft 108th overall, 2005
Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career 2004present

Niklas Hjalmarsson (born 6 June 1987) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has won three Stanley Cups during his playing career, in 2010, 2013, and 2015, as well as a silver Olympic medal with Sweden at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Playing career

Hjalmarsson was drafted 108th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He played professionally for three years in the Elitserien with HV71.

In the 2007–08 season, his first in North America, Hjalmarsson made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks. After spending the majority of the season with the Rockford IceHogs, Chicago's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, he procured a regular spot on the roster after defenceman James Wisniewski's trade to the Anaheim Ducks.

Hjalmarsson scored his first career NHL goal against Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings.

Hjalmarsson became a key part of the Blackhawks' lineup late into the 2008–09 season and to begin the 2009–10 season. In 2009–10, he played 77 games in the regular season and all 22 in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the team, averaging over 19 minutes played per game, switching between the second and third defensive pairings. Over that time, he recorded a production value (PROD) of a point roughly every 45 minutes of it, while his season PROD was 89 minutes. During the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, a slapshot Hjalmarsson took was redirected by teammate Andrew Ladd to give Chicago a 3–2 lead in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals; the team won the game in overtime, 4–3, and eventually the 2010 Stanley Cup.

On 9 July 2010, shortly after the end of the season, Hjalmarsson signed a four-year, $14 million offer sheet with the San Jose Sharks.[1] Three days later, however, on 12 July, the Blackhawks announced that they would match the offer sheet. Hjalmarsson became the first NHL defenceman in 13 years to receive an offer sheet as a restricted free agent, and, critically, Chicago's matching of the offer meant that they no longer had enough cap space to re-sign goaltender Antti Niemi, who coincidentally ended up joining the Sharks later that off-season.

During 2012–13 NHL lockout, Hjalmarsson played in the Italian Serie A and in the IIHF Continental Cup with HC Bolzano.

The Chicago Blackhawks won the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. During the 2013 off-season, Hjalmarsson signed a five-year extension with the Blackhawks, at an annual average salary of $4.1 million.

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup again in 2015, making Hjalmarsson one of only seven players to be part of the 2010, 2013, and 2015 Stanley Cup victories.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05 HV71 SEL 14 0 0 0 0
2005–06 HV71 SEL 4 1 2 3 0 12 0 1 1 4
2006–07 IK Oskarshamn Allsv 8 1 2 3 6
2006–07 HV71 SEL 37 2 0 2 24
2007–08 Rockford IceHogs AHL 47 4 9 13 31 12 0 4 4 8
2007–08 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 13 0 1 1 13
2008–09 Rockford IceHogs AHL 52 2 16 18 53
2008–09 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 21 1 2 3 0 17 0 1 1 6
2009–10 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 77 2 15 17 20 22 1 7 8 6
2010–11 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 80 3 7 10 39 7 0 2 2 2
2011–12 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 69 1 14 15 14 6 0 1 1 4
2012–13 Bolzano HC ITL 16 6 16 22 8
2012–13 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 46 2 8 10 22 23 0 5 5 4
2013–14 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 81 4 22 26 34 19 0 4 4 14
2014–15 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 82 3 16 19 44 23 1 5 6 8
2015–16 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 81 2 22 24 32 7 0 1 1 0
SHL totals 55 3 2 5 24 12 0 1 1 4
NHL totals 550 18 107 125 218 124 2 26 28 44
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Sweden
Olympic Games
2014 Sochi
IIHF World U18 Championships
2005 Plzen

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
2005 Sweden U18 7 1 4 5 6
2007 Sweden WJC 7 2 1 3 4
2012 Sweden WC 8 0 3 3 2
2014 Sweden Oly 6 0 0 0 0
Junior totals 14 3 5 8 10
Senior totals 14 0 3 3 2

See also

References

  1. "Sharks sign free agent D Hjalmarsson to offer sheet". TSN. Associated Press. 9 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Niklas Hjalmarsson.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/13/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.