Mikael Wikstrand
| Mikael Wikstrand | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
5 November 1993 Karlstad, Sweden | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| SHL team Former teams |
Färjestad BK Frölunda HC | ||
| National team |
 | ||
| NHL Draft |
196th overall, 2012 Ottawa Senators | ||
| Playing career | 2010–present | ||
Mikael Wikstrand (surname also spelled Vikstrand; born 5 November 1993) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing with Färjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He had previously been suspended from playing professionally by the National Hockey League and the International Ice Hockey Federation after leaving the 2015–16 pre-season training camp of the NHL's Ottawa Senators and returning to Sweden without informing the club of his intentions.
Playing career
In 2010–11, Wikstrand made his debut in professional hockey, playing 28 games for Mora IK of the HockeyAllsvenskan, getting one assist. The following year, Wikstrand played 47 games for the club, getting 3 points.
Wikstrand was ranked 23rd amongst European skaters in the 2012 NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s final rankings, however he was selected in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Senators, 196th overall.[1]
In 2012–13, Wikstrand played 45 games for Mora, getting 22 points. That year, he tied for fifth among Allsvenskan defensemen in scoring, and lead all the Mora defensemen in scoring. There were several trade rumours surrounding Wikstrand at the time, with Frölunda being particularly mentioned.[2]
In 2014, Wikstrand signed a three-year entry-level contract with Ottawa.[3] He attended the Ottawa Senators training camp, but played the season in Sweden with Frölunda HC on loan from Ottawa.
Wikstrand caused controversy when he abruptly left the Ottawa Senators' 2015 pre-season training camp without permission, not even notifying team officials of his departure from camp until he was at the airport about to board a flight back to his native Sweden. Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced shortly afterward that Wikstrand had been suspended by the team. Since Wikstrand is under contract with the Senators, the NHL's affiliation with the IIHF meant that he was prohibited from playing professional hockey for Färjestad BK or any other club in a league affiliated with the IIHF.[4]
On January 20, 2016, the Ottawa Senators announced that they had come to terms with Wikstrand that would allow him to play professional hockey in his native Sweden, while the Senators retained his North American rights. Wikstrand has been loaned to Färjestad of the SHL, which will allow him to play hockey while staying close to his family home in Karlstad, where Wikstrand's brother is reportedly battling leukemia.[5]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2018 Denmark | |
Wikstrand has represented Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics, the 2011 U18 World Junior Championship, as well as at the 2013 World Junior Championship, leading all Swedish defensemen with 4 points.[6]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2009–10 | Mora IK | J20 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Mora IK | J20 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Mora IK | Allsv | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | Mora IK | J20 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Mora IK | Allsv | 47 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Mora IK | J20 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Mora IK | Allsv | 45 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Mora IK | Allsv | 27 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Frölunda HC | SHL | 19 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Frölunda HC | SHL | 46 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 2015–16 | Färjestad BK | SHL | 17 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Färjestad BK | SHL | 48 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Färjestad BK | SHL | 45 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| SHL totals | 175 | 19 | 58 | 77 | 46 | 38 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 10 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Sweden | WJC18 |  |
6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| 2013 | Sweden | WJC | |
6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2018 | Sweden | OG | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Sweden | WC |  |
10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 12 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | ||||
| Senior totals | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||||
References
- ↑ "Mikael Wikstrand the lone Senators prospect in ufa". thehockeywriters.com. 2012-06-28. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
- ↑ "Wikstrand could join Frolunda in the next couple of days". icehockeyrumors.com. 2012-12-03. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ↑ "Senators sign defenceman Mikael Wikstrand to entry-level contract" (Press release). Ottawa Senators. 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
- ↑ "Senators prospect Wikstrand suspended". National Hockey League. 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
- ↑ "Senators broker temporary fix with Wikstrand". The Sports Network. 2016-01-20. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Mikael Wikstrand prospect profile". hockeysfuture.com. 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
