Mattias Öhlund
Encyclopedia
Mattias Öhlund is a Swedish
Swedes
Swedes are a Scandinavian nation and ethnic group native to Sweden, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries.-Etymology:...

 professional ice hockey
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 and an alternate captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

 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). Prior to joining the Lightning, he played eleven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

. Öhlund played two seasons in the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 Allsvenskan, the second highest tier of hockey in Sweden, with Piteå HC before being selected by the Canucks thirteenth overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft
1994 NHL Entry Draft
The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...

; he then joined Luleå HF
Luleå HF
Luleå Hockeyförening is an ice hockey club from Luleå, Sweden. Luleå is the most northern club in the league and has played in Elitserien constantly since the 1984-85 season. They have won the Swedish championships once, in 1996...

 of the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...

, the highest league in Sweden, winning the Le Mat Trophy
Le Mat Trophy
The Le Mat is the championship trophy of Elitserien, the major professional ice hockey league in Sweden.The Le Mat is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in Sweden. The trophy was donated by the founding father of ice hockey in Sweden, Raoul Le Mat, and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...

 as league champions in 1996. He began his NHL career with Vancouver in 1997–98, the start of an eleven-year tenure with the club. A serious eye injury before his third NHL season was the first of many injuries Öhlund has sustained over his career, and he has only played a full season twice in eleven years. A four-time winner of the Babe Pratt Trophy
Babe Pratt Trophy
thumb|200px|[[Christian Ehrhoff]] is the most recent recipientThe Babe Pratt Trophy is one of six annual team awards presented to players of the National Hockey League 's Vancouver Canucks...

 as the team's best defenceman, Öhlund is the Canucks' all-time leading goal and point-scorer among defencemen.

Internationally, Öhlund has represented Sweden in numerous tournaments, beginning with three World Junior Championships
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...

 that included Best Defenceman honours as part of a silver medal effort in 1996
1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 20th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, hosted in Massachusetts...

. He has since competed in three World Championships, earning gold in 1998
1998 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-World Championship Group C :Played March 22-28 in Budapest, Székesfehérvár and Dunaújváros.- Group 1 :- Group 2 :- Final Round 25-28 Place :Hungary was promoted to Group B.- Consolation Round 29-32 Place :...

, and three Winter Olympics, earning gold in 2006
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...

.

Sweden

Öhlund began his playing career with Piteå HC in his hometown, playing two seasons with the team. As a large, mobile defenceman, he was heavily scouted by scouts from several NHL teams during his final season with Piteå. He was the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

' first pick, thirteenth overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft
1994 NHL Entry Draft
The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...

. Rather than join the Canucks, Öhlund stayed in Sweden as a result of a dispute over his contract with the team. He joined a new team, Luleå HF
Luleå HF
Luleå Hockeyförening is an ice hockey club from Luleå, Sweden. Luleå is the most northern club in the league and has played in Elitserien constantly since the 1984-85 season. They have won the Swedish championships once, in 1996...

 of the top Swedish league, the Elitserien. In his first season in the premier league in Sweden, Öhlund scored 16 points in 34 games. The following season Öhlund had 14 points in 38 games as Luleå won the Le Mat Trophy
Le Mat Trophy
The Le Mat is the championship trophy of Elitserien, the major professional ice hockey league in Sweden.The Le Mat is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in Sweden. The trophy was donated by the founding father of ice hockey in Sweden, Raoul Le Mat, and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...

 as champions of the Elitserien, their first league championship. Appearing in 47 games with Luleå during the 1996–97 season, Öhlund scored seven goals and had an additional nine assists.

Vancouver Canucks

Four years after being drafted by the Canucks, Öhlund was set to be eligible to re-enter the NHL Entry Draft
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...

 when he signed a contract with 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...

 on August 1, 1997. Worth US$10 million over five years, including a signing bonus of $7.5 million, it was considerably more than the maximum rookie contract of $850,000 per year the Canucks, as the team that drafted Öhlund, were allowed to offer. Under league rules, the Canucks were given one week to either match the contract or trade Öhlund's NHL rights to the Maple Leafs. Rather than lose him, the Canucks agreed to the contract on August 7.

As part of a promotion for the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...

, the first to allow NHL participation in the ice hockey tournament, the Canucks opened the 1997–98 NHL season with a pair of games against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

. Öhlund thus played his first NHL game in Japan on October 3, 1997. He scored his first goal against Felix Potvin
Felix Potvin
Félix "The Cat" Potvin is a former National Hockey League goaltender.-QMJHL career:From 1988 through to 1991 Potvin played with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...

 of the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 9, as well as earning his first assist in that game. Playing 77 games as a rookie, he tied Jyrki Lumme
Jyrki Lumme
Jyrki Olavi Lumme is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League and SM-liiga. After beginning his career in Finland, playing with Ilves Tampere for three seasons, he moved to North America to join the Montreal Canadiens in 1988...

 for the team lead in scoring among defencemen with seven goals and 30 points. In recognition of his play during the season, he was awarded the Babe Pratt Trophy
Babe Pratt Trophy
thumb|200px|[[Christian Ehrhoff]] is the most recent recipientThe Babe Pratt Trophy is one of six annual team awards presented to players of the National Hockey League 's Vancouver Canucks...

, given to the Canucks' best defenceman. In addition, Öhlund was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...

 as the best rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...

 in the league, finishing second in voting to Sergei Samsonov
Sergei Samsonov
Sergei Viktorovich Samsonov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent.- Playing career :Samsonov was drafted by the Boston Bruins eighth overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Boston drafted Joe Thornton first overall in the same draft...

 of the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

 with 11 first-place ballots to Samsonov's 43. His 30 points, the fifth best total among first year players and highest by a rookie defenceman, helped him earn a position on the NHL All-Rookie Team
NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...

.

In his second season in the NHL, Öhlund was selected to the annual NHL All-Star Game
49th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 49th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 24, 1999, at the Ice Palace in Tampa Bay, Florida, home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.-"North America" and the World:...

 as a replacement for an injured player. Playing for the World team, composed of NHLers from outside North America, Öhlund scored one goal and had an assist as the North American team won, 8–6. With nine goals and 35 points in 74 games, Öhlund led the Canucks' defencemen in scoring and placed fifth overall on the team.

Prior to the start of the 1999–2000 NHL season, in a pre-season game against 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...

 on September 21, 1999, a puck deflected off Öhlund's stick and struck him in the right eye. The injury forced Öhlund to miss the first 38 games of the season. He underwent surgery to correct his vision and returned to the Canucks the same season and scored 20 points in 42 games, again winning the Babe Pratt Trophy as the Canucks' best defenceman. The following year, he missed an additional 17 games after undergoing surgery once more to relieve building internal pressure on his eye. Playing in his first game back in the lineup on November 28, 2000, Öhlund scored the game winning goal for the Canucks in a 4–1 win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Öhlund played the final 65 games of the season, scoring eight goals and 28 points. He also made his NHL playoff debut, recording four points in four games.

The 2001–02 season saw Öhlund play 81 games and record a career-high 36 points, with an additional two points in six playoff games. A knee injury during the 2002–03 season led Öhlund to miss several games; while he only scored 2 goals in the 59 games he played in, Öhlund set a career-high in assists with 27. That was followed by appearing in a career-high 13 playoff games, where he had three goals and four assists for seven points. In 2003–04, Öhlund tallied a career-high 14 goals and played in all 82 games with Vancouver for the first time in his career. For his efforts, Öhlund was named the winner of the Babe Pratt Trophy.
The 2004–05 season was cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Like many other NHL players, Öhlund played in Europe, joining his former team, Luleå HF, on December 21. However eight days later, after playing two games with the team and scoring one goal, Öhlund left the team. As well as briefly playing in Sweden, Öhlund took part in a charity hockey match set up by Canucks teammate Brad May
Brad May
Brad S. May is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League . He grew up in Stouffville, Ontario, but played his rep minor hockey in Markham, Ontario. A veteran of over 1,000 NHL games, May was known more for his enforcing skills than his scoring...

 and held in Vancouver on December 12, 2004. Including several NHL players, the game raised nearly $1 million for charity. The NHL resumed play for the 2005–06 season; Öhlund recorded 33 points in 78 games, including leading Canucks defencemen with 13 goals, winning the Babe Pratt Trophy for the fourth time in his career.

Early in the 2007–08 season, Öhlund received a four-game suspension, the first of his career, for an incident near the end of a November 16, 2007, game against the Minnesota Wild
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 ....

. In the third period, Wild forward Mikko Koivu
Mikko Koivu
Mikko Sakari Koivu is a Finnish professional ice hockey center and captain of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League...

 hit Öhlund in the head with his elbow, and Öhlund retaliated by slashing Koivu in the leg with his stick, breaking Koivu's fibula. After returning from the suspension, Öhlund became the Canucks' all-time leader in goals among defencemen, scoring the game-tying goal against the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 on December 15, 2007, to pass former teammate Jyrki Lumme with 84 goals. After bone chips were detected in his knee in early March 2008, Öhlund underwent knee surgery on March 13 and missed the remainder of the season. The leading scorer amongst Canuck defenceman at the time of the surgery, Öhlund finished second amongst defenceman with 24 points in 53 games.

With the departure of Markus Näslund
Markus Näslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...

 in the 2008 off-season, Öhlund became the longest serving player on the Canucks' roster. Before the beginning of the 2008–09 season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

, Öhlund was named, along with Ryan Kesler
Ryan Kesler
Ryan James Kesler is an American professional ice hockey center for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. Selected in the first round, 23rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Kesler has...

 and Willie Mitchell as alternate captains to goaltender Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...

, who replaced Näslund as captain. Due to the limitations of having a goalie as captain, Öhlund was designated the captain's traditional duty of taking ceremonial faceoffs. Beginning the season 22 points behind Jyrki Lumme and Dennis Kearns
Dennis Kearns
Dennis McAleer Kearns is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who spent his entire career with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...

 for the franchise's all-time point-scoring record for a defenceman, Öhlund surpassed the mark on March 15, 2009, with an assist in a 4–2 win against the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

 for his 322nd point as a Canuck. He played all 82 games for the second time in his career, and finished tied for third on the team for points by a defenceman with 25.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Becoming an unrestricted free agent in the off-season, Öhlund signed a seven-year, $26.25-million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

 on July 1, 2009. Brought in as a mentor to fellow Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman
Victor Hedman
Victor Erik Olof Hedman is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . He was drafted second overall by the Lightning in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft...

, whom the Lightning drafted second overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
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...

, Öhlund was named an alternate captain of the Lightning. His first game with the Lightning was on October 3, 2009, against the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...

; Öhlund had one assist in the game. The following month, he suffered an ankle injury after catching his skate into ice during a game against the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 on November 14, 2009. He returned after missing 7 games. He re-injured the ankle in March 2011 after colliding with Christian Hanson
Christian Hanson (ice hockey)
Christian David Hanson is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Washington Capitals. Prior to playing for the Capitals, Hanson played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and in the American Hockey League for the Toronto Marlies. He played amateur hockey for the University...

 during a game against 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...

, causing him to miss an additional 8 games. Öhlund finished his first season with the Lightning with no goals and 13 assists in 67 games. Offensively, it marked the lowest point total of his career and the first time he did not score a goal during the regular season during his NHL career up to that point. Despite his reduced offensive statistics, he remained a key defenceman on the Lightning roster, leading the team with 22 minutes and 47 seconds of average ice time per game and 116 blocked shots.

In the off-season, Öhlund underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Though he aggravated the knee at the beginning of the Lightning's training camp in September 2010, he continued to play in pre-season games. Due to inflammation and fluid build-up in the knee, however, he was sidelined for the first 8 games of the 2010–11 season
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...

. Later in the season, he began suffering from a deep bone bruise on his left knee that he continued to play in spite of. In late-February and early-March 2011, he was subsequently sidelined two games with a lower-body injury. Öhlund failed to score a goal for the second consecutive regular season in 2010–11, recording 5 assists in 72 games, a career-low. His ice time reduced significantly as he ranked sixth among team defencemen with an average of 18 minutes and 43 seconds per game. After finishing 12th overall in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....

 the previous season, the Lightning qualified for the 2011 playoffs
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...

 as the fifth seed. In Game 2 of the opening round against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...

, Öhlund registered his first goal as a Lightning, scoring into an empty net in a 5–1 win. He added two assists over the course of a career-high 18 post-season games as Tampa Bay were eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 champion Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Prior to the start of the 2011–12 season
2011–12 NHL season
The 2011–12 NHL season is the 95th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It is the fifth consecutive season that opens in Europe with NHL Premiere games. As with the previous season, three events are scheduled: two games will be held in Stockholm, Sweden; one game in Helsinki,...

, Ohlund began experiencing inflammation in his right knee. The Lightning placed Ohlund on injured reserve on October 4, 2011; six days later, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees.

International play

Early in his career, Öhlund was selected to play in three World Junior Championships
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...

 for Sweden
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...

. Beginning in 1994
1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Ostrava and Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic...

, he contributed two assists in seven games as part of a silver medal effort. As the medals were determined by a round-robin format, Sweden fell one point short of Canada
Canada national junior hockey team
The Canadian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Canada. The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January...

, losing 6–4 to them in their final and deciding game. After a bronze medal in 1995
1995 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1995 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 18th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was hosted in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada with games held throughout central Alberta...

, Öhlund returned for a third straight World Junior tournament in 1996
1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 20th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, hosted in Massachusetts...

 to record five assists and was named the tournament's Best Defenceman. He was additionally named to the Tournament All-Star Team as he captured his second World Junior silver medal.

He made his debut for the Swedish senior national team in 1997
1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
- Group 2 :- Second Round 1-6 Place :Teams that had played each other in the first round carried those results forward. First and second place played off for gold, third and fourth for bronze.- Consolation Round 7-12 Place :...

 at the World Championships, his first of three appearances in the tournament. Öhlund scored two goals and added an assist in 11 games as Sweden captured a silver medal. He returned the following year in 1998
1998 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-World Championship Group C :Played March 22-28 in Budapest, Székesfehérvár and Dunaújváros.- Group 1 :- Group 2 :- Final Round 25-28 Place :Hungary was promoted to Group B.- Consolation Round 29-32 Place :...

 to match his previous statistical output while earning his first gold medal with Sweden. In his third World Championship appearance, the 2001 World Championships
2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001...

, Öhlund tallied five points to help Sweden to a bronze medal.

The 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...

 was the first of three consecutive Olympic games Öhlund appeared in. He played in all four games for Sweden and registered one assist as Sweden finished in a tie for fifth place, out of medal contention. Four years later, Öhlund was selected for the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...

 in Salt Lake City. However, in pre-Olympic drug testing by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

 (IOC), Öhlund tested positive for the banned substance acetazolamide
Acetazolamide
Acetazolamide, sold under the trade name Diamox, is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that is used to treat glaucoma, epileptic seizures, Idiopathic intracranial hypertension , altitude sickness, cystinuria, and dural ectasia...

. The substance was inadvertently ingested after Öhlund took Diamox, a drug he had used previously while undergoing eye surgery. As the ingestion was unintentional, he was cleared to play. After a dominant round-robin, Sweden was eliminated by Belarus in the quarter-final game—considered one of the biggest upsets in international hockey history and the darkest moment in Swedish hockey history. Öhlund finished the tournament with two points in four games.

In the following Olympics, Öhlund helped Sweden to the 2006
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

 gold medal in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

. After earning two assists in six games, Öhlund was forced out of the tournament after getting hit into the boards and fracturing his ribs during a game against Switzerland. Unable to play in the final against Finland, he nevertheless received a gold medal from the IOC. Canucks teammates, Daniel
Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...

 and Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...

, who also played on the championship team, offered to give Öhlund one of their gold medals if the IOC would not give him one, while his replacement on the team, Niklas Kronwall
Niklas Kronwall
Niklas Kronwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman, an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...

, made the same offer.

Additionally, Öhlund competed in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey
2004 World Cup of Hockey
The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues...

, which preceded the 2004–05 NHL lockout. In four games, he recorded one goal and one assist.

Personal life

Growing up in Piteå
Piteå
Piteå is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The town has 22,650 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 41,000 in 2008.- Geography :...

, Öhlund idolized fellow Swedish defenceman Börje Salming
Börje Salming
Anders Börje Salming , nicknamed "The King", is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman. He played for Kiruna AIF, Brynäs IF, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Detroit Red Wings, and AIK. Salming was one of the first European players to make an impact in the National Hockey League , paving...

, who played 17 seasons in the NHL. He is married to wife Linda and has a daughter, Hannah, and a son, Viktor. They reside in Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

 during the hockey season, and return to Öhlund's hometown of Piteå
Piteå
Piteå is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The town has 22,650 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 41,000 in 2008.- Geography :...

, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, in the summer.

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
1992–93 Piteå HC Swe-2 22 0 6 6 16
1993–94 Piteå HC Swe-2 28 7 10 17 66
1994–95 Luleå HF
Luleå HF
Luleå Hockeyförening is an ice hockey club from Luleå, Sweden. Luleå is the most northern club in the league and has played in Elitserien constantly since the 1984-85 season. They have won the Swedish championships once, in 1996...

SEL
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...

34 6 10 16 34 9 4 0 4 16
1995–96 Luleå HF SEL 38 4 10 14 26 13 1 0 1 47
1996–97 Luleå HF SEL 47 7 9 16 38 10 1 2 3 8
1997–98 Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

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...

77 7 23 30 76
1998–99 Vancouver Canucks NHL 74 9 26 35 83
1999–00 Vancouver Canucks NHL 42 4 16 20 24
2000–01 Vancouver Canucks NHL 65 8 20 28 46 4 1 3 4 6
2001–02 Vancouver Canucks NHL 81 10 26 36 56 6 1 1 2 6
2002–03 Vancouver Canucks NHL 59 2 27 29 42 13 3 4 7 12
2003–04 Vancouver Canucks NHL 82 14 20 34 73 7 1 4 5 13
2004–05
2004–05 Elitserien season
The 2004–05 Elitserien season was the 30th season of Elitserien. It started on September 20, 2004, with the regular season ending March 1, 2005. The playoffs of the 81st Swedish Championship ended on April 11, with Frölunda HC taking the championship....

Luleå HF SEL 2 1 0 1 4
2005–06 Vancouver Canucks NHL 78 13 20 33 92
2006–07 Vancouver Canucks NHL 77 11 20 31 80 12 2 5 7 12
2007–08 Vancouver Canucks NHL 53 9 15 24 79
2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

Vancouver Canucks NHL 82 6 19 25 105 10 1 2 3 6
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...

Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

NHL 67 0 13 13 59
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...

Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 72 0 5 5 70 18 1 2 3 8
NHL totals 909 93 250 343 885 70 10 21 31 63

International statistics

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1994
1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Ostrava and Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic...

Sweden WJC
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...

7 0 2 2 2
1995
1995 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1995 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 18th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was hosted in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada with games held throughout central Alberta...

Sweden WJC 7 1 0 1 4
1996
1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 20th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, hosted in Massachusetts...

Sweden WJC 7 0 5 5 32
1997
1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
- Group 2 :- Second Round 1-6 Place :Teams that had played each other in the first round carried those results forward. First and second place played off for gold, third and fourth for bronze.- Consolation Round 7-12 Place :...

Sweden
Swedish national men's ice hockey team
The Swedish men's national ice hockey team, or Tre Kronor , as it is called in Sweden, is one of the most successful ice hockey teams in the world...

WC 11 2 1 3 12
1998
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...

Sweden Oly 4 0 1 1 4
1998
1998 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-World Championship Group C :Played March 22-28 in Budapest, Székesfehérvár and Dunaújváros.- Group 1 :- Group 2 :- Final Round 25-28 Place :Hungary was promoted to Group B.- Consolation Round 29-32 Place :...

Sweden WC 10 2 1 3 8
2001
2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001...

Sweden WC 9 2 3 5 12
2002
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...

Sweden Oly 4 0 2 2 2
2004
2004 World Cup of Hockey
The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues...

Sweden WCup
World Cup of Hockey
The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...

4 1 0 1 0
2006
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...

Sweden Oly 6 0 2 2 2
Junior int'l totals 21 1 7 8 38
Senior int'l totals 48 7 10 17 40

All-Star Games

Year Location   G A P
1999
49th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 49th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 24, 1999, at the Ice Palace in Tampa Bay, Florida, home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.-"North America" and the World:...

Tampa
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

1 1 2
All-Star totals 1 1 2

  • All stats taken from NHL.com

NHL

Award Year(s)
NHL All-Rookie Team
NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...

1998

International

Award Year
World Junior Championships Best Defenceman 1996
1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 20th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, hosted in Massachusetts...

World Junior Championships All-Star Team 1996

Vancouver Canucks team awards

Award Year
Babe Pratt Trophy
Babe Pratt Trophy
thumb|200px|[[Christian Ehrhoff]] is the most recent recipientThe Babe Pratt Trophy is one of six annual team awards presented to players of the National Hockey League 's Vancouver Canucks...

1998, 2000, 2004, 2006

Records

  • Vancouver Canucks
    Vancouver Canucks
    The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

    ' franchise goals leader among defencemen - 93
  • Vancouver Canucks' franchise points leader among defencemen - 325

External links

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