Sweden on the International Stage
* Sweden has reached the playoff round in six consecutive NHL International Tournaments dating to the 1984 Canada Cup. Canada is the only other nation to accomplish the feat during that stretch.
* Sweden’s best finish at an NHL International Tournament was runner-up at the 1984 Canada Cup, its only appearance in the final. That year, the Tre Kronor earned a spot in the tournament final after a 9-2 victory against the United States, thanks to a combined nine points between Kent Nilsson (1-4—5) and Hakan Loob (3-1—4).
* Sweden (2) is one of four countries with multiple Olympic gold medals in men’s hockey, a list that also includes Canada (9) and the United States (2).
* Sweden medaled in two of five Olympics in which NHL players participated (2006: gold; 2014: silver).
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Swedes in the NHL
* 10% of NHL players in 2024-25 are Swedish, the most of any European country and third overall behind Canada (41%) and the United States (30%).
* This is the 10th straight season that Swedes have made up at least 9% of the NHL. It also is the third straight campaign at 10% or higher – tied for the longest stretch in League history (also 2017-18 – 2019-20, a span that included an all-time high 11% in 2019-20).
* Sweden is the only European country in history to make up more than 8% of the NHL. It has been nearly a quarter-century since any other non-North American country has reached that high a share of NHL players – all time, Czechia (8% in 2001-02) and Russia (8% in 1999-00 & 2000-01) are the only others to do so.
* Six Swedish players in NHL history have reached the 1,000-point milestone, led by Mats Sundin – the highest total of any European nation and third-highest overall (Canada: 69; United States: 11).
* Two Swedish players have been selected first overall in the NHL Draft: Rasmus Dahlin (2018) and Mats Sundin (1989).
* The only non-Canadian goaltender among the top 10 in NHL history for career wins is Swedish netminder Henrik Lundqvist (6th).
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Swedes Winning NHL Awards and the Stanley Cup
* Swedish players account for 11 Norris Trophy wins, the second most of any country behind Canada
(48). Nicklas Lidstrom (7x) is tied with Bobby Orr for the most Norris wins in League history, while Erik Karlsson (3x) is also part of the nine-player list of three-time winners. 4 Nations Face-Off captain Victor Hedman (2017-18) accounts for the remaining Swedish Norris Trophy win.
* Sweden is one of three countries to produce multiple players who have won the Art Ross Trophy, as Daniel Sedin (2010-11), Henrik Sedin (2009-10) and Peter Forsberg (2002-03) all have led the NHL in scoring since the award was introduced. Canada (21) and Russia (3) are the others.
* Sweden is one of four different countries to produce a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, with Nicklas
Lidstrom (2002), Henrik Zetterberg (2008) and Victor Hedman (2020) all claiming the award.
Lidstrom and Hedman are the only defensemen born outside North America to capture the honor.
* Sweden accounts for two of 12 instances of a defenseman winning the Conn Smythe Trophy (Victor Hedman: 2020; Nicklas Lidstrom: 2002). Canada (9x), Sweden (2x) and the United States (1x) are the only countries to have a blueliner secure MVP honors in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* There has been at least one Swedish player on each of the past 10 Stanley Cup champions, including three with the 2024 Panthers.
* The 2008 Red Wings had the most Swedish players of any Stanley Cup champion (7).
* Two Swedish players in NHL history have captained a Stanley Cup champion: Gabriel Landeskog (2022 w/ COL) and Nicklas Lidstrom (2008 w/ DET).
* A Swedish player has scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal four times in NHL history: Patric Hornqvist (2017 w/ PIT), Henrik Zetterberg (2008 w/ DET), Ulf Samuelsson (1991 w/ PIT) and Bobby Nystrom (1980 w/ NYI). Of note, Nystrom hails from Sweden but grew up in Canada.
* Overall, 47 Swedish nationals have won the Stanley Cup as a player.
* A Swedish goaltender has never won the Stanley Cup (as part of the roster or with the clinching win).
* Gustav Forsling (4-9—13 in 24 GP) set and tied Panthers franchise records, respectively, for most assists and points by a defenseman in a playoff year during the team’s championship run in 2024.
* Victor Hedman won the 2020 Conn Smythe Trophy after recording the third-highest goal total by a defenseman in a single postseason (10-12—22 in 25 GP).
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#NHLStats for each player who will represent Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February 2025. Each federation named six players in June, indicated by an asterisk below. All stats through Feb. 1, 2025.
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Filip Gustavsson, G, Minnesota Wild
Gustavsson put his name in the NHL history books just three games into his 2024-25 campaign by becoming the 15th goaltender in League history to score a goal and the fourth to do so on the power play. The Skelleftea native ranks among the top 10 in goals-against average and save percentage since joining the Wild in 2022-23 and will represent Sweden for the second time in 10 months. Gustavsson was Sweden’s starter at the 2024 World Championship, adding a bronze medal to the gold he claimed as part of its 2018 roster. He also claimed silver and was named best goaltender at both the 2016 Under-18 World Championship and 2018 World Junior Championship.
Samuel Ersson, G, Philadelphia Flyers
Ersson burst onto the NHL scene just over two years ago and became the second goaltender in franchise history with wins in each of his first six career decisions (also Bob Froese: 8 from Jan. 8-27, 1983) as well as the League’s second Swedish netminder to achieve the feat, following Viktor Fasth with the Ducks (8 from Jan. 26 to Feb. 16, 2013). Ersson’s international resume includes helping Sweden secure a bronze medal at the 2024 World Championship where he went 3-0-0 in four appearances with a 1.44 goals-against average. Ersson had decorated career in his home country before reaching the NHL, which also included making his pro debut with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League less than a week after his 18th birthday.
Linus Ullmark, G, Ottawa Senators
Ullmark won both the Vezina Trophy and the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2022-23 after a 48-win season with the Bruins – a campaign in which he also scored a goal. He is the fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach 40 wins in a season (49 GP in 2022-23) and the only Swedish goaltender in NHL history to win both the Vezina and Jennings trophies. The only other Swedish Vezina Trophy winners are Henrik Lundqvist and Pelle Lindbergh, and Robin Lehner is the only other Swede to claim the Jennings. Internationally, he has represented Sweden twice at the World Championship (2014 & 2022), winning bronze in 2014.
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Rasmus Andersson, D, Calgary Flames
Wearing an “A” alongside the flaming C on his chest in Calgary, Andersson has been a leader on the Flames’ blueline since becoming an NHL regular in 2018-19. He paces the club in time on ice and blocked shots over that span and has climbed into the top 10 in franchise history for career goals, assists and points among defensemen. He has not represented Sweden since he was a teenager and is seeking his first medal with his country.
Jonas Brodin, D, Minnesota Wild
A two-time gold medalist with Sweden, Brodin won alongside 4 Nations teammates Mika Zibanejad and Filip Forsberg at the 2012 World Junior Championship and with many NHL stars at the 2017 World Championship. Overall, he has medaled at three of his four appearances with Sweden over the past dozen years, with the other being a bronze claimed in May at the World Championship. Part of the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2012-13, Brodin is now the third-longest serving player in Wild history, and ranks among the top three in franchise history for career goals, assists and points among defensemen.
Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo Sabres
Dahlinreached 300 career points earlier this season and is the Sabres’ top scorer since 2018-19 when he made his NHL debut. The 24-year-old has tallied the most points among Swedish defensemen in NHL history before age 25, besting 4 Nations teammate Erik Karlsson (84-219—303 in 397 GP) earlier this season. One of four Swedish captains in the NHL (along with Victor Hedman, Mikael Backlund and Gabriel Landeskog), Dahlin is a two-time medalist on the world stage, claiming silver at 2018 World Junior Championship and bronze at 2023 World Championship. At age 17, he was the youngest player on Sweden’s roster at the 2018 Olympics and a few months later became the first Swedish defenseman ever selected with the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft.
Mattias Ekholm, D, Edmonton Oilers (Assistant Captain)
Ekholm ranks in the top five for plus-minus among active players since 2011-12 when he made his NHL debut, which came soon after he won an SHL championship and claimed the Borje Salming Award as that league’s top defenseman (adding to the rookie of the year award he secured a year prior). Following his second career appearance in the Stanley Cup Final (2-4—6 in 13 GP), Ekholm will return to international competition for the first time since the 2019 World Championship – his fifth appearance at that event (gold in 2018, bronze in 2014, also played in 2016 & 2015). The Borlange native’s international resume also includes bronze at the 2010 World Junior Championship and an appearance at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
*Gustav Forsling, D, Florida Panthers
Forsling won the Stanley Cup in 2024 with the Panthers while setting a franchise playoff record for assists in a postseason by a defenseman and tying the benchmark for points by a blueliner. His record-setting playoff performance came after a regular season in which he posted the highest plus-minus rating by a defenseman since 1995-96 (+56), breaking his own franchise record in the process (for all skaters). The reigning Goldpucken recipient as the best Swedish hockey player (presented annually since 1956), Forsling will be representing Sweden internationally for the first time since back-to-back World Junior Championship appearances in 2015 (highest-scoring defenseman) and 2016 (most goals among defensemen; tied).
*Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning (Captain)
In his first season as an NHL captain, Hedman is a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2020 & 2021) who has won the Norris Trophy (2017-18) and Conn Smythe Trophy (2020) – just the third Swedish player to be named playoff MVP, following Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg. The longest-tenured player in Lightning history, Hedman recently set a franchise record for career assists. His lengthy international resume includes medals at the World Junior Championship (silver in 2008 & 2009) and World Championship (gold in 2017 & bronze in 2010 & 2024). He also represented Sweden at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
*Erik Karlsson, D, Pittsburgh Penguins (Assistant Captain)
Karlsson is one of nine players in NHL history to win the Norris Trophy three or more times (2011-12, 2014-15 & 2022-23) and ranks second in career points among active defensemen (among the top 15 all-time). Karlsson has been on Swedish teams that medaled at the World Junior Championship (silver in 2009), World Championship (bronze in 2010 & 2024) and Olympics (silver in 2014). His Olympic appearance also saw him share the tournament lead with eight points in six games (tied with forward Phil Kessel) en route to being named Best Defenseman. Karlsson (25-76—101 in 2022-23) is the only European defenseman to record a 100-point season and the only blueliner from any country to achieve that feat in the past 32 years.
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Viktor Arvidsson, F, Edmonton Oilers
A two-time SHL champion in Sweden, Arvidsson is also decorated in international competition with a gold medal at the 2018 World Championship and silver at both the 2013 World Junior Championship and 2011 Under-18 World Championship. Now with five 20-goal and two 30-goal campaigns to his credit in the NHL, Arvidsson averaged nearly a point-per-game last season despite missing most of it with injury (6-9—15 in 18 GP).
Jesper Bratt, F, New Jersey Devils
Bratt is a three-time 20-goal scorer who recorded a career-best 32 tallies in 2022-23 and last season set new benchmarks for assists (56), points (83) and game-winning goals (7). Only three players in Devils franchise history have recorded more assists in a season than Bratt did in 2023-24. A sixth-round pick (162nd overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft, Bratt was quick to crack the Devils’ lineup and scored in each of his first two NHL games in 2017-18 at age 19. Of the 249 Swedish skaters picked as late as Bratt in the NHL Draft, only five have had as productive a career in the NHL: Henrik Zetterberg (337-623—960), Patrik Sundstrom (219-369—588), Patric Hornqvist (264-279—543), Tomas Holmstrom (243-287—530) and Hakan Loob (193-236—429). Bratt last represented Sweden at the 2019 World Championship.
Leo Carlsson, F, Anaheim Ducks
Carlsson (No. 2) was the first of 14 players born outside North America selected in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft and immediately made the jump to the NHL.Before heading to North America, hecaptured success with Sweden internationally, earning a gold medal for his country at the 2022 Under-18 World Championship, followed by appearances as an 18-year-old at both the World Junior Championship and World Championship in 2023. Carlsson, who celebrated his 20th birthday Dec. 26, ranks within the top five among Swedish players in NHL history for goals and points as a teenager.
Joel Eriksson Ek, F, Minnesota Wild
Eriksson Ek recorded career highs in goals (30) and points (64) in 2023-24. He has represented Sweden twice at the World Championship, which includes a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze in 2024. He also captained his country at the 2016 World Junior Championship when he led the team with six goals in seven games. He is the longest-serving current Wild forward and ranks among the top 10 in franchise history for career goals.
*Filip Forsberg, F, Nashville Predators
Forsberg scored a career-high 48 goals in 2023-24, setting a Predators franchise record for goals in a season; he had already owned the club benchmark for career goals. Internationally, Forsberg has represented his country on many occasions earning three medals at the World Junior Championship (gold in 2012, silver in 2013 & silver in 2014 when he also secured tournament MVP), along with a gold at the 2018 World Championship when he tallied the game-deciding goal in a shootout during the final.
Adrian Kempe, F, Los Angeles Kings
Kempe set a career high in assists (47) and points (75) in 2023-24 and owns the only 40-goal campaign by a Kings player in the past 30 years (41 in 2022-23). He has represented Sweden four times at the World Championship (2018, 2019, 2021 & 2024), which included a goal medal in 2018 and a bronze in 2024, and was among Sweden’s top scorers at the World Junior Championship in both 2015 and 2016. Kempe made an immediate impact upon his arrival in North America, scoring eight goals in 17 playoff games as an 18-year-old during the 2015 AHL playoffs to help the Manchester Monarchs secure a Calder Cup. He won the AHL title alongside TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette and scored the opening goal of the clinching game, against Jacob Markström.
Elias Lindholm, F, Boston Bruins
Lindholm is a four-time 20-goal scorer with one career 40-goal season (42 in 2021-22) and has recorded 50 or more points in four seasons (2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22 & 2022-23). Internationally, he has participated in three World Championships for Sweden (2015, 2017 & 2019), which included a gold medal in 2017. He also has back-to-back World Junior Championship silver medals (2013 & 2014) and was runner-up to Patrice Bergeron for the 2021-22 Frank J. Selke Trophy (finishing ahead of 4 Nations foe Aleksander Barkov). Lindholm (18 years, 312 days) was two months short of his 19th birthday when he scored his first NHL goal in 2013-14, which at the time made him the youngest Swedish player in League history to tally a goal (since surpassed).
*William Nylander, F, Toronto Maple Leafs (Assistant Captain)
Nylander set or matched career highs for goals (40; tied), assists (58) and points (98) in 2023-24, marking his second consecutive 40-goal campaign. Internationally, Nylander helped Sweden earn a gold medal at the 2017 World Championship where he was named MVP of the tournament. He led that tournament in goals (tied) and returned two years later to post 5-13—18 at the 2019 World Championship – a Swedish record for assists at the event and the highest point total for the country in more than 55 years. His father, Michael, won two gold medals at the World Championship (1992 & 2006) along with other international accolades and represented Sweden at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey (2-1—3 in 4 GP).
Gustav Nyquist, F, Nashville Predators
Nyquist saw a surge in production after he signed with the Predators as a free agent prior to the 2023-24 season – he averaged 0.61 points per game in his career from 2011-12 to 2022-23 before he posted career highs in assists and points in 2023-24 (23-52—75 in 81 GP; 0.93 P/GP), along with his highest goal output in nearly a decade. Internationally, he led the 2016 World Championship in goals (tied with Patrik Laine), while helping Sweden medal at the 2014 (bronze) and 2018 (gold) renditions of the event. He is the only European player in the past 22 years to lead the NCAA in scoring (2009-10), part of a collegiate career that included being a two-time finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. His resume also includes an AHL Calder Cup and Olympic silver medal.
Elias Pettersson, F, Vancouver Canucks
Two seasons removed from a 102-point campaign, Pettersson has recorded at least 30 goals in each of his past three seasons and owns the second-most points among Swedish players since entering the NHL, behind 4 Nations teammate Mika Zibanejad. Pettersson’s final campaign before heading to North America was one for the record books; among his achievements in 2017-18 were an SHL championship (clinched by his winning goal), SHL MVP (regular season and playoffs), SHL Rookie of the Year, silver at the 2018 World Junior Championship and gold at the 2018 World Championship. He followed that up by winning the 2018-19 Calder Memorial Trophy after leading all NHL rookies, and the Canucks team, in goals (28), assists (38) and points (66) – setting a franchise record for the latter.
Rickard Rakell, F, Pittsburgh Penguins
Rakell has skated parts of 13 seasons in the NHL and could enter the tournament as the latest Swedish player to reach the 500-point milestone. Rakell represented his country during its gold-medal entries at the 2012 World Junior Championship as well as the 2018 World Championship, where he led Sweden with 6-8—14 in 10 games en route to being named to the tournament’s All-Star Team. Rakell is a six-time 20-goal scorer and had career-high 34 with the Ducks during the 2017-18 season, where he also made his NHL All-Star Game debut.
Lucas Raymond, F, Detroit Red Wings
Raymond scored 64 goals before celebrating his 22nd birthday in March 2024, the second-most goals by a Swedish player at age 21 or younger in NHL history behind Mats Sundin (83). At the international level, he has been an assistant captain for Sweden at each of the past two World Championships, adding a bronze medal (2024) to a resume that includes a medal from one of his two appearances at the World Junior Championship (bronze in 2020; also played in 2021) and an Under-18 World Championship gold in 2019.
Mika Zibanejad, F, New York Rangers
Zibanejad has the most career NHL points among active Swedish forwards (min. 1 GP in 2024-25) and helped the Rangers capture the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24. He is a two-time gold medalist on the international stage, helping Sweden win both the 2012 World Junior Championship and 2018 World Championship. Zibanejad clinched the gold in 2012 with the only goal in a 1-0 overtime win in the final, claiming victory alongside the likes of Filip Forsberg and William Karlsson.
