Niklas Hjalmarsson
| Niklas Hjalmarsson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hjalmarsson with the Chicago Blackhawks in December 2014 | |||
| Born |
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 | 2004–present | ||
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 | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2014 Sochi | |
| IIHF World U18 Championships | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 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
- ↑ "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.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Niklas Hjalmarsson. |
- Niklas Hjalmarsson's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
- Niklas Hjalmarsson's Hockey-Reference page