Since the 1960s and continuing until today, Frölunda Gothenburg have established themselves as a top developer of hockey talent. That has translated into on-ice success for the club and a long list of players that have gone on to the NHL. 

by Szymon Szemberg

Frölunda Gothenburg is not only one part in the Champions Hockey League final. The club from the west coast of Sweden is currently Europe’s best producer of talent, but it is the NHL which is the prime beneficiary of this seemingly bottomless well.

Frölunda became a major force in Swedish ice hockey in the early 1960s, and the club immediately became Europe’s first exporter of talent to the National Hockey League.

Centre Ulf Sterner became the first trained European to play in an NHL game almost to the day 50 years ago. He joined Frölunda in 1961 and was signed by the New York Rangers in 1964. Sterner played only four NHL games with the “Broadway Blueshirts” but it was him who broke the ice at a time when Europeans in the NHL was unheard of.

It is correct that Börje Salming in 1973 is the one paved the way for all Europeans when he and teammate Inge Hammarström were signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs from Brynäs Gävle, but one can legitimately ask the question whether the Leafs would have looked at Europe if not for the success of defenceman Thommie Bergman with Detroit the previous season, 1972–73.

Bergman was signed by the Red Wings from Frölunda in 1972 and became the first European to play a regular shift on an NHL team. In those days, Europeans didn’t have to be drafted by an NHL club – they were simply signed.

But since the days of Ulf Sterner and Thommie Bergman, Frölunda have had 68 players drafted by NHL clubs and more than 30 players from the Gothenburg club have gone on to have significant NHL careers. 

The number of 68 draftees is second of all European clubs – only Russia’s CSKA Moscow have had more players selected by NHL clubs, with 81. But while the bulk of CSKA’s players were drafted in the '90s, Frölunda have been the prime provider of talent in modern times.

Only last season, no less than eight (!) players from Frölunda’s youth academy were picked in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. It is truly an amazing number and a tribute to Frölunda’s junior program.

Some of the players on the list below are Olympic gold medallists, World Champions, Stanley Cup champions and NHL trophy winners.

The (unofficial) list of Frölunda players who have gone on to play in the NHL: 

(Listed are players who are either developed at Frölunda or were signed by NHL clubs based on the player’s performance at Frölunda which led to the signing.)

Ulf Sterner (NYR)
Thommie Bergman (DET)
Lars-Erik Sjöberg (WPG, NYR)
Willy Lindström (EDM)
Jörgen Pettersson (STL)
Christer Kellgren (COL)
Mikael Andersson (BUF, HAR)
Calle Johansson (BUF, WSH)
Patrick Carnbäck (MTL, ANA)
Niklas Andersson (QUE, NYI)
Daniel Alfredsson (OTT)
Kristian Huselius (FLA, CGY)
Per-Johan Axelsson (BOS)
Christian Bäckman (STL)
Joel Lundqvist (DAL)
Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)
Johnny Oduya (CHI)
Fredrik Sjöstrom (PHO)
Alexander Steen (STL)
Loui Eriksson (DAL, BOS)
Viktor Stålberg (NSH, CHI)
Lars Eller (STL, MTL)
Mikkel Bödker (ARI)
Joakim Andersson (DET)
Erik Karlsson (OTT)
Henrik Tömmernäs (VAN)
Philip Larsen (DAL)
Robin Lehner (OTT)
Fredrik Andersen (ANA)
John Klingberg (DAL)
Christian Folin (MIN)
Sebastian Collberg (MTL, NYI)
Alexander Wennberg (CLB)

With a total of 13 players drafted in 2013 and 2014, and the way Frölunda send their juniors to various Swedish youth national teams, the number of Frölunda players will most likely grow furthermore.

For this February's international break, Sweden will have four youth national teams playing: U19, U18, U17 and U16. On those four teams, 11 players are from Frölunda, the most of all Swedish teams.

“It is hard work and a tradition of developing young players which is behind these numbers,” said Mikael Ström who is the Director of Youth Development at the Gothenburg club. 

“Our club is very focused on the junior program. But we are also looking at how other clubs develop players and we are constantly trying to learn from the best. At Frölunda, we have a very clear way of direction throughout the entire organization. These are really the reasons why so many good players graduate from our youth academy,” said Ström.

With this, it’s probably not the last time we see Frölunda Gothenburg in a Champions Hockey League final.