Anders Hedberg
Encyclopedia
Anders Hedberg is a retired former professional ice hockey
player who was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America. Along with countryman Ulf Nilsson, Hedberg signed a contract to come over to play for the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association
in 1974, after having represented both Modo Hockey
and Djurgårdens IF
in his native Sweden. He was twice voted best junior in Sweden and as such the only one (1969+1970) and is a graduate from the Stockholm School of Physical Education (GIH).
Prior to the mid-seventies, Europeans generally did not come to play in the National Hockey League
, as the cartel of NHL owners had poor (some would say xenophobic) opinions of Europeans and European hockey. Players such as the Slovak
-born but Canadian-raised Stan Mikita
were the exception. Hedberg was an instant sensation in the WHA, recording 100 points in 65 games in his first season, and playing alongside established superstar Bobby Hull
.
Hedberg played a starring role as the Jets won the Avco World Trophy
titles in 1976 and 1978. In the summer of 1978, Nilsson and Hedberg signed with the NHL's New York Rangers
for $2.4 million, further weakening the struggling WHA which would cease operations after just one more season. Hedberg recorded 856 professional points in North American hockey over 751 games, and would retire from the Rangers in 1985.
After his active career, Hedberg has among other things worked as an assistant to general manager
Craig Patrick
of the New York Rangers
. Between 1991-1997 he worked as a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs
before moving up to the position as assistant general manager in 1997-1999. In 2000 he was appointed general manager
of the Swedish national ice hockey team and joined the Ottawa Senators
as Director of Player Personnel in 2002-2007. In August 2007, he returned to the New York Rangers as the Head Professional European Scout.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player who was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America. Along with countryman Ulf Nilsson, Hedberg signed a contract to come over to play for the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
in 1974, after having represented both Modo Hockey
MODO Hockey
Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006...
and Djurgårdens IF
Djurgårdens IF Hockey
Djurgårdens IF Hockey are a professional ice hockey team based in Stockholm, Sweden. They are the ice hockey department of the sports club Djurgårdens IF. The department was formed in 1922 with the help of Wilhelm Arwe and have since then become Sweden's most successful team, having won the Swedish...
in his native Sweden. He was twice voted best junior in Sweden and as such the only one (1969+1970) and is a graduate from the Stockholm School of Physical Education (GIH).
Prior to the mid-seventies, Europeans generally did not come to play in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, as the cartel of NHL owners had poor (some would say xenophobic) opinions of Europeans and European hockey. Players such as the Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
-born but Canadian-raised Stan Mikita
Stan Mikita
Stanislav "Stan" Mikita , is a Slovak-born Canadian retired professional ice hockey player, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 1961, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he played his entire career.-Early life:Mikita was born in Sokolče, Slovak Republic...
were the exception. Hedberg was an instant sensation in the WHA, recording 100 points in 65 games in his first season, and playing alongside established superstar Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
.
Hedberg played a starring role as the Jets won the Avco World Trophy
Avco World Trophy
The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association . The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation , a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division...
titles in 1976 and 1978. In the summer of 1978, Nilsson and Hedberg signed with the NHL's New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
for $2.4 million, further weakening the struggling WHA which would cease operations after just one more season. Hedberg recorded 856 professional points in North American hockey over 751 games, and would retire from the Rangers in 1985.
After his active career, Hedberg has among other things worked as an assistant to general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Craig Patrick
Craig Patrick
Craig Patrick is a former American hockey player, coach and general manager, the son of Lynn Patrick and the grandson of Lester Patrick...
of the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Between 1991-1997 he worked as a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
before moving up to the position as assistant general manager in 1997-1999. In 2000 he was appointed general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Swedish national ice hockey team and joined the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
as Director of Player Personnel in 2002-2007. In August 2007, he returned to the New York Rangers as the Head Professional European Scout.
Awards and achievements
- Swedish Junior Player of the Year (1969 and 1970)
- Named Best Forward at EJC-A (1970)
- Lou Kaplan TrophyLou Kaplan TrophyThe Lou Kaplan Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association's rookie of the year.-History:Lou Kaplan was one of the original owners of the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA. On August 10, 1973, the WHA officially named its trophies after the team officials at the WHA's founding...
winner (1975) - WHAWorld Hockey AssociationThe World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
Second All-Star Team (1975 and 1978) - WHA First All-Star Team (1976 and 1977)
- Avco Cup championships (1976 and 1978)
- Played in the 1976 Canada Cup1976 Canada CupThe 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
and 1981 Canada Cup tournament - Bill Masterton Trophy winner (1985)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1985)
- Inducted into the IIHF Hall of FameIIHF Hall of FameThe IIHF Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which was established by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1997, when 30 individuals were inducted at the world championships in Helsinki...
in 1997 - “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of FameManitoba Hockey Hall of FameThe Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
- Ranked No. 36 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & SonsJohn Wiley & SonsJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
, 2009).
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1974–75 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... |
65 | 53 | 47 | 100 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 76 | 50 | 55 | 105 | 48 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 15 | ||
| 1976–77 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 68 | 70 | 61 | 131 | 48 | 20 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 13 | ||
| 1977–78 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 77 | 63 | 59 | 122 | 60 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 2 | ||
| 1978–79 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
80 | 33 | 46 | 79 | 33 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 12 | ||
| 1979–80 | New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 32 | 39 | 71 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 1980–81 | New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 30 | 40 | 70 | 52 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 6 | ||
| 1981–82 | New York Rangers | NHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 25 | 34 | 59 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 1983–84 | New York Rangers | NHL | 79 | 32 | 35 | 67 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1984–85 | New York Rangers | NHL | 64 | 20 | 31 | 51 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 465 | 172 | 226 | 398 | 144 | 58 | 22 | 24 | 46 | 31 | ||||
| WHA totals | 286 | 236 | 222 | 458 | 201 | 42 | 35 | 28 | 63 | 30 | ||||