Born	December 23, 1976 (1976-12-23) (age 32), Mariefred, Sweden
Height Weight	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 218 lb (99 kg; 15 st 8 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team F. teams	Vancouver Canucks Florida Panthers Pittsburgh Penguins New York Rangers San Jose Sharks Detroit Red Wings
Ntl. team	Sweden
NHL Draft	145th overall, 1998 San Jose Sharks
Pro career	1996 – present

Mikael Samuelsson (born December 23, 1976 in Mariefred, Södermanland County) is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Samuelsson began his career in the Swedish Elitserien, playing for Södertälje SK, Frölunda HC and Brynäs IF. He was drafted in 1998 by the San Jose Sharks 145th overall and moved to the NHL in 2000–01. After short stints with the Sharks, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, he emerged with the Detroit Red Wings after the 2004–05 NHL lockout, remaining with the club for four seasons.

Internationally, Samuelsson has won two gold medals in three appearances with Sweden at the 2006 Winter Olympics and 2006 World Championships. He is a member of the exclusive Triple Gold Club, having also won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008.

[edit] Playing career

[edit] Swedish career (1996–2000)

Samuelsson began his career in the Elitserien with Södertälje SK. He scored 6 points in 29 games during his rookie season in 1996–97. After improving to 16 points the following season, he was drafted in the fifth round, 145th overall, by the San Jose Sharks in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Upon being drafted, he remained in Sweden for two more seasons. As Södertälje SK was demoted to the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan in 1998–99, Samuelsson joined Frölunda HC to remain in the Elitserien, playing with both teams over the course of the season. While he scored above a point-per-game pace in the HockeyAllsvenskan, he managed just five point in 27 games with Frolunda HC in the Elitserien. The following season in 1999–00, his last in Sweden, Samuelsson moved to Brynäs IF of the Elitserien and recorded seven points in 40 games.

[edit] Early NHL career (2000–2005)

Samuelsson moved to North America in 2000–01 to join the Sharks organization. He played in four NHL games and did not register any points while playing the majority of the season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with San Jose's minor league affiliate, the Kentucky Thoroughblades. The following season he signed with the New York Rangers. Over the two seasons that he played for New York, he scored 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points. During the 2002–03 season he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Samuelsson would go on to score two goals in 22 games. Looking to move up in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft the Penguins traded him, along with their first and second round picks (Nathan Horton and Stefan Meyer), to the Florida Panthers in exchange for the first overall pick that year (used to pick goaltender Marc-André Fleury) and a third round pick (Daniel Carcillo) on June 21, 2003.^[1][2] Samuelsson spent most of his time with the Panthers on the injured reserve list, beginning with a fractured jaw, suffered on November 22, 2003, after receiving a high-stick from Branislav Mezei.^[3]. He did not return until January 22, 2004, missing 22 games. Twelve days later, on January 23, 2004, Samuelsson fractured his hand.^[4] He missed another 21 games before returning on March 9, 2004. After scoring nine points in 37 games, Samuelsson did not receive a qualifying offer from the Panthers, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his professional career.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Samuelsson played in Europe, returning to Södertälje SK of the Elitserien while also playing for Genève-Servette HC of the Swiss Nationalliga A.

[edit] Detroit Red Wings (2005–2009)

With NHL play set to resume, Samuelsson was contacted by Håkan Andersson, Director of European Scouting of the Detroit Red Wings, in the summer of 2005. Without an NHL contract, Samuelsson was recommended by Andersson to Detroit and he was subsequently signed to a one-year contract.^[5][6] During his first season with the Red Wings, Samuelsson recorded career NHL highs in all statistical categories with 23 goals, 22 assists and 45 points in 71 games. In March 2006, Samuelsson signed a three-year contract extension with the Red Wings^[7] and recorded 34 points in 53 games the following season.

After a 40-point campaign in 2007–08, Samuelsson was an important piece of the Red Wings' championship run, scoring the first two goals in game one of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. He soon raised the Stanley Cup after the Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. He finished the post-season with 13 points in 22 games. The victory made Samuelsson a member of the exclusive Triple Gold Club, having won gold medals at the Winter Olympics and World Championships two years prior in 2006, along with teammates and fellow Swedes Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall.

The following season, Samuelsson recorded a second consecutive 40-point campaign in 2008–09 and came within a game of repeating as Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings, losing to the Penguins in a seven-game rematch of the previous year.

[edit] Vancouver Canucks (2009–present)

In the summer of 2009, Samuelsson signed a three year deal with the Vancouver Canucks worth $2.5 million a year on July 3.^[8] He scored his first goal as a Canuck in the 2009–10 season opener against the Calgary Flames in a 5–3 loss on October 1.^[9]

[edit] International play

Medal record
Competitor for  Sweden
Men's ice hockey
Olympics
Gold	2006 Turin
World Championship
Gold	2006 Latvia

Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (January 2009)

Played for Sweden in:

• 2005 World Championships
• 2006 Winter Olympics (gold medal)
• 2006 World Championships (gold medal)

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] Regular season and playoffs

[edit] International

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Mikael Samuelsson's career stats at Eliteprospects.com
• Mikael Samuelsson's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Mikael Samuelsson – player profile and career stats at European Hockey.Net