Leo Carlsson

Leo Carlsson
Born	(2004-12-26) 26 December 2004 (age 20) Karlstad, Sweden
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Anaheim Ducks Örebro HK
National team	Sweden
NHL draft	2nd overall, 2023 Anaheim Ducks
Playing career	2021–present

Leo Carlsson (born 26 December 2004) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted second overall by the Ducks in the 2023 NHL entry draft.[1][2]

Playing career

Carlsson originally played at the youth level with hometown team Färjestad BK before moving to fellow tenured Swedish Hockey League (SHL) team, Örebro HK, for the 2020–21 season. During the 2021–22 season, Carlsson made his professional debut in the SHL as a 17-year-old, posting three goals and six assists in 35 regular season games.[3]

In his year of NHL draft eligibility, Carlsson increased his stock in playing exclusively with the senior team in the SHL showing an offensive acumen in securing a scoring line role among Örebro HK for the 2022–23 season.[4] Bob McKenzie referred to Carlsson as a "blue-chip" prospect in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.[5]

On 28 June 2023, Carlsson was drafted second overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2023 draft.[6] He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks on 12 July.[7] On 10 October, Carlsson was named to the Ducks' opening night roster for the 2023–24 season after attending the team's training camp.[8] However, he suffered an injury during practice on 6 October, and was unable to play in the Ducks' first two games of the season.[9][10] Carlsson made his NHL debut on 19 October, scoring a goal in the Ducks' 3–2 loss against the Dallas Stars.[11] On 10 November, in a 6–3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, Carlsson became the youngest player in Ducks franchise history to record a hat-trick, at 18 years and 319 days old.[12]

International play

Carlsson represented Sweden junior team in the 2023 World Junior Championships.[13] In May 2023, it was announced that Carlsson would play for Sweden senior team in the 2023 IIHF World Championship.[14]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2020–21	Örebro HK	J20		19	4	5	9	12		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Örebro HK	J20		14	10	17	27	2		4	1	7	8	2
2021–22	Örebro HK	SHL		35	3	6	9	4		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Örebro HK	SHL		44	10	15	25	6		13	1	8	9	4
2023–24	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		55	12	17	29	16		—	—	—	—	—
SHL totals				79	13	21	34	10		13	1	8	9	4
NHL totals				55	12	17	29	16		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2021	Sweden	HG18			5	1	2	3	0
2022	Sweden	U18			2	2	1	3	0
2023	Sweden	WJC	4th		7	3	3	6	2
2023	Sweden	WC	6th		8	3	2	5	0
Junior totals					14	6	6	12	2
Senior totals					8	3	2	5	0

References

1. Kerney, Caleb (13 November 2022). "2023 Draft Eligible Leo Carlsson Is NHL Ready". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
2. Morreale, Mike. "Dvorsky could be latest from Slovakia taken in first round of NHL Draft". NHL. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
3. Pope, Ben (26 December 2022). "Leo Carlsson emerging as fourth elite option for Blackhawks in 2023 NHL draft". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
4. Ellis, Eteven. "NHL Draft Prospect Roundup: Is Matvei Michkov the true No. 2 talent in the class?". Daily Faceoff. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
5. McKenzie, Bob (23 January 2023). "'It's Bedard at No. 1 and a wide chasm to everyone else'". TSN. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
6. Elliott, Helene (28 June 2013). "Column: Ducks surprise by picking Leo Carlsson in NHL draft, but choice makes sense". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
7. "Ducks Sign Carlsson to Three-Year Entry-Level Contract". Anaheim Ducks. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
8. "Ducks Announce 2023-24 Season Opening Roster". NHL.com. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
9. Stanovich, Austin (12 October 2023). "Ducks Carlsson Expected Back After Opening Weekend". The Hockey News. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
10. "NHL Buzz: Carlsson set to make debut for Ducks". NHL.com. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
11. "Ducks loss highlighted by Leo Carlsson goal in debut". ESPN.com. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
12. Greenspan, Dan (10 November 2023). "Carlsson gets 1st NHL hat trick in Ducks loss to Flyers". NHL.com. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
13. "Sveriges trupp till JVM 2023". NHL.com (in Swedish). 7 December 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
14. "Tre Kronor spelar VM i Finland & Lettland, 12–28 maj" (in Swedish). Svenska Ishockeyförbundet. Retrieved 15 May 2023.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Nathan Gaucher	Anaheim Ducks first round draft pick 2023	Succeeded by Beckett Sennecke