Erik Karlsson
Encyclopedia
Erik Karlsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey
defenceman
, currently playing for the Ottawa Senators
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He was selected 15th overall by the Senators in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
.
on March 1, 2008, recording 8:48 of ice time during a sold out home game in Scandinavium
, against league leaders HV71
. Karlsson scored the game winning goal, assisted by Tomi Kallio
and Magnus Kahnberg
, with a slapshot
off a faceoff
, in overtime during a man advantage
. The win secured a playoff berth for Frölunda with three games remaining of the regular season.
Karlsson finished the season with Frölunda's J20 team playing in the J20 SuperElit playoffs, where Frölunda took home the Anton Cup
when they won two to one in games against Brynäs IF
in the Swedish Junior Ice Hockey Championship final.
Prior to the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
, Karlsson was ranked fourth among European skaters by the NHL's Central Scouting Service. He was drafted 15th overall by the Ottawa Senators
, in front of their hometown fans at Scotiabank Place
in Ottawa
, Ontario
. The selection was made by Ottawa's captain
Daniel Alfredsson
, a native of Gothenburg
, who played for Frölunda before entering the NHL. Ottawa's general manager, Bryan Murray, traded Ottawa's first round pick, 18th overall, and their third round pick in 2009
to the Nashville Predators
for the Predators' first round pick, 15th overall, to ensure that no other team would pick Karlsson before them.
A few weeks before the 2008–09 Elitserien season
premiere, Frölunda announced that Karlsson was brought up to the senior team as a regular roster player.
In September 2009, Karlsson attended the Ottawa Senators training camp with a chance at joining the squad even at junior age. On September 29, 2009, the Senators announced that Karlsson had made the team's roster and would start the 2009–10
season in Ottawa. However, after struggling in nine regular season games with Ottawa, Karlsson was assigned to the Binghamton Senators
. On November 27, 2009, exactly a month after being sent down, Karlsson was recalled from Binghamton. He would score his first NHL goal against Minnesota
's Niklas Bäckström
in a 4-1 win for Ottawa on December 19 and remain in the NHL for the remainder of the season and play in all of Ottawa's playoff games.
Karlsson was selected to participate in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game
, set for Jan. 30 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C., having recorded 25 points in 41 games.
. He was the tournament's plus/minus leader with a plus eight rating, and he led team Sweden in assists, finishing third overall in the tournament, with seven in six games, which also tied him for first place in defencemen scoring. During the 2008 U20 4-Nations tournament which Sweden won, Karlsson scored one goal and one assist which tied him with David Rundblad
, Viktor Ekbom
, and Tim Erixon
as Sweden's defenceman scoring leader. At the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
Karlsson was selected to the all-star team, and as the tournament's best defenceman. With two goals and seven assists in six games he led all Swedish players in points, and was tied for the tournament lead among defencemen.
Karlsson played at the 2010 World Championships
and was the highest scoring defenseman for Sweden with one goal and three assists in nine games.
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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
, currently playing for 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...
of 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...
(NHL). He was selected 15th overall by the Senators in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
.
Playing career
Karlsson made his Elitserien debut for Frölunda HCFrölunda HC
Frölunda Hockey Club, also known as the Frölunda Indians, are a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Gothenburg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien, where they have played the majority of the seasons during its existence. The last time they played in the...
on March 1, 2008, recording 8:48 of ice time during a sold out home game in Scandinavium
Scandinavium
Scandinavium is the primary indoor sports and event arena in Gothenburg, Sweden. Construction on Scandinavium began in 1969 after decades of setbacks, the arena was built in time for the 350th year anniversary celebration of the City of Gothenburg and was inaugurated on May 18, 1971.Scandinavium...
, against league leaders HV71
HV71
HV71, often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien...
. Karlsson scored the game winning goal, assisted by Tomi Kallio
Tomi Kallio
Tomi Kristian Kallio is a professional Finnish ice hockey player who plays right wing for Växjö Lakers Hockey in the Swedish Elitserien.-Playing career:...
and Magnus Kahnberg
Magnus Kahnberg
Håkan Magnus Kahnberg is a professional Swedish professional ice hockey right winger, currently playing for Frölunda HC in Elitserien.- Playing career :...
, with a slapshot
Slapshot
A slapshot in ice hockey is the hardest shot. It has four stages which are executed in one fluid motion:# The player winds up his hockey stick by raising it behind his body, sometimes raising the blade to shoulder height or higher.# Next the player violently "slaps" the ice slightly behind the...
off a faceoff
Faceoff
A face-off is the method used to begin play in ice hockey and some other sports. The two teams line up in opposition to each other, and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the puck after it is dropped between their sticks by an official. One of the referees drops the puck at centre ice...
, in overtime during a man advantage
Powerplay
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
. The win secured a playoff berth for Frölunda with three games remaining of the regular season.
Karlsson finished the season with Frölunda's J20 team playing in the J20 SuperElit playoffs, where Frölunda took home the Anton Cup
Anton Cup
The Anton Cup is the championship trophy of the Swedish junior hockey league, J20 SuperElit. The trophy was donated by Anton Johansson, chairman of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association between 1924–1948, in 1952, as an award for Sweden's top-ranking ice hockey club, decided by a national tournament...
when they won two to one in games against Brynäs IF
Brynäs IF
Brynäs IF is a professional Swedish ice hockey team from Gävle. The club plays in the highest Swedish league , and has done so since 1960.-History:...
in the Swedish Junior Ice Hockey Championship final.
Prior to the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
, Karlsson was ranked fourth among European skaters by the NHL's Central Scouting Service. He was drafted 15th overall by 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...
, in front of their hometown fans at Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place is a multi-purpose arena, located in Kanata, a suburban district of Ottawa, Ontario. It is home to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. It has also hosted the Canadian University Men's Basketball Championship...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The selection was made by Ottawa's captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. He is the captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He is considered a leader by example and has been compared to former Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman in his value to the Senators...
, a native of Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, who played for Frölunda before entering the NHL. Ottawa's general manager, Bryan Murray, traded Ottawa's first round pick, 18th overall, and their third round pick in 2009
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
to the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
for the Predators' first round pick, 15th overall, to ensure that no other team would pick Karlsson before them.
A few weeks before the 2008–09 Elitserien season
2008–09 Elitserien season
The 2008–09 Elitserien season was the 34th season of Elitserien. It began on September 15, 2008, with the regular season ending February 28, 2009. The playoffs of the 85th Swedish Championship ended on April 8, with Färjestads BK taking the championship...
premiere, Frölunda announced that Karlsson was brought up to the senior team as a regular roster player.
In September 2009, Karlsson attended the Ottawa Senators training camp with a chance at joining the squad even at junior age. On September 29, 2009, the Senators announced that Karlsson had made the team's roster and would start the 2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
season in Ottawa. However, after struggling in nine regular season games with Ottawa, Karlsson was assigned to the Binghamton Senators
Binghamton Senators
The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...
. On November 27, 2009, exactly a month after being sent down, Karlsson was recalled from Binghamton. He would score his first NHL goal against Minnesota
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
's Niklas Bäckström
Niklas Bäckström
Niklas Oskar Bäckström is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . He has won both William M. Jennings Trophy and Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award...
in a 4-1 win for Ottawa on December 19 and remain in the NHL for the remainder of the season and play in all of Ottawa's playoff games.
Karlsson was selected to participate in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game
58th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 58th National Hockey League All-Star Game, also known as the 2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game presented by Discover, was the National Hockey League’s annual All-Star game played on January 30, 2011. The game took place during the 2010–11 NHL season at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North...
, set for Jan. 30 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C., having recorded 25 points in 41 games.
International play
Karlsson was selected as the tournament's best defenceman at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships2008 IIHF World U18 Championships
The 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Kazan, Russia. The championships began on April 13, 2008 and finished on April 24, 2008. Games were played at TatNeft Arena and Arena Kazan in Kazan...
. He was the tournament's plus/minus leader with a plus eight rating, and he led team Sweden in assists, finishing third overall in the tournament, with seven in six games, which also tied him for first place in defencemen scoring. During the 2008 U20 4-Nations tournament which Sweden won, Karlsson scored one goal and one assist which tied him with David Rundblad
David Rundblad
David Rundblad is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. Rundblad is currently a member of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . Rundblad previously played for Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Elitserien. Rundblad was drafted 17th overall by the St...
, Viktor Ekbom
Viktor Ekbom
Viktor Ekbom is a Swedish professional ice hockey Defenseman currently with Tappara of the Finnish SM-liiga.-Playing career:Ekbom was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 6th round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft....
, and Tim Erixon
Tim Erixon
Tim Erixon is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He was acquired in a 2011 trade with the Calgary Flames whom selected him in the first round, 23rd overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Erixon has previously played for Skellefteå...
as Sweden's defenceman scoring leader. At the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
- Group B :ScheduleAll times local - Relegation round :The results from matches between teams from the same group in the preliminary round are carried forward to this round.-Schedule:...
Karlsson was selected to the all-star team, and as the tournament's best defenceman. With two goals and seven assists in six games he led all Swedish players in points, and was tied for the tournament lead among defencemen.
Karlsson played at the 2010 World Championships
2010 IIHF World Championship
The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannheim, and one game at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen...
and was the highest scoring defenseman for Sweden with one goal and three assists in nine games.
Personal Life
Erik Karlsson is engaged, and will be married in the off-season of 2012 to Therese.Regular season and playoffs
| 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 | ||
| 2006–07 | Södertälje SK Södertälje SK Södertälje Sportklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club playing in HockeyAllsvenskan. Södertälje were charter members of Elitserien when the league was founded in 1975 and have since played 24 seasons in the league... |
J20 J20 SuperElit J20 SuperElit is a junior ice hockey league composed of 20 teams in Sweden. It is the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden. The teams are divided in two groups, or divisions, Norra and Södra , and are usually associated with a professional team in either Elitserien or HockeyAllsvenskan... |
10 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Frölunda HC Frölunda HC Frölunda Hockey Club, also known as the Frölunda Indians, are a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Gothenburg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien, where they have played the majority of the seasons during its existence. The last time they played in the... |
J20 | 38 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 68 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 Elitserien season The 2007–08 Elitserien season was the 33rd season of Elitserien. It began on September 24, 2007, with the regular season ending March 8, 2008. The playoffs of the 84th Swedish Championship ended on April 18, with HV71 taking the championship.-Rule changes:... |
Frölunda HC | SEL Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... |
7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Frölunda HC | J20 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Borås HC Borås HC Borås HC is a Swedish professional ice hockey club, based in Borås, playing in the Swedish second tier league HockeyAllsvenskan.-Notable players:*Nikolai Drozdetsky *Sergei Fokin *Stefan Persson... |
Allsv | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 Elitserien season The 2008–09 Elitserien season was the 34th season of Elitserien. It began on September 15, 2008, with the regular season ending February 28, 2009. The playoffs of the 85th Swedish Championship ended on April 8, with Färjestads BK taking the championship... |
Frölunda HC | SEL | 45 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 AHL season The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11... |
Binghamton Senators Binghamton Senators The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
12 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
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... |
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... |
60 | 5 | 21 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Ottawa Senators | NHL | 75 | 13 | 32 | 45 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SEL totals | 52 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24 | ||||
| NHL totals | 135 | 18 | 53 | 71 | 74 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships The 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Kazan, Russia. The championships began on April 13, 2008 and finished on April 24, 2008. Games were played at TatNeft Arena and Arena Kazan in Kazan... |
Sweden Jr. Sweden men's national junior ice hockey team The Swedish men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Sweden. The team represents Sweden at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January.Sweden's roster for the 1981 World Junior... |
WJC U18 IIHF World U18 Championships The IIHF World U18 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a system similar to Ice Hockey World Championships and World... |
6 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
| 2009 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships - Group B :ScheduleAll times local - Relegation round :The results from matches between teams from the same group in the preliminary round are carried forward to this round.-Schedule:... |
Sweden Jr. | WJC | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
| 2010 2010 IIHF World Championship The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannheim, and one game at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen... |
Sweden | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Junior int' totals | 35 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 44 | ||
International
| Award | Year(s) awarded |
|---|---|
| WJC U18 IIHF World U18 Championships The IIHF World U18 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a system similar to Ice Hockey World Championships and World... Best Defenceman |
2008 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships The 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships were held in Kazan, Russia. The championships began on April 13, 2008 and finished on April 24, 2008. Games were played at TatNeft Arena and Arena Kazan in Kazan... |
| WJC All-Star Team | 2009 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships - Group B :ScheduleAll times local - Relegation round :The results from matches between teams from the same group in the preliminary round are carried forward to this round.-Schedule:... |
| WJC Best Defenceman | 2009 |
NHL
| Award | Year(s) awarded |
|---|---|
| NHL All-Star Game | 2011 58th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 58th National Hockey League All-Star Game, also known as the 2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game presented by Discover, was the National Hockey League’s annual All-Star game played on January 30, 2011. The game took place during the 2010–11 NHL season at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North... |