Anders Bjork (ice hockey)

Last updated

Anders Bjork
2023-05-09 Deutschland gegen USA (Eishockey-Landerspiel) by Sandro Halank-053.jpg
Bjork with Team USA in 2023
Born (1996-08-05) August 5, 1996 (age 28)
Mequon, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		Free agent
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Chicago Blackhawks
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
NHL draft 146th overall, 2014
Boston Bruins
Playing career 2017–present

Anderson Patrick Bjork (born August 5, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey left winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL). Bjork was selected 146th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Contents

Playing career

Collegiate

Bjork played college hockey at Notre Dame in the Hockey East from 2014 to 2017. In 2016–17, Bjork was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, marking him as one of the ten best players in men's college hockey; [1] he was also named a Hockey East First-Team All-Star, [2] and was a co-winner of the Hockey East Three-Stars Award. [3]

Professional

Boston Bruins

At the completion of his junior season with the Fighting Irish, Bjork concluded his collegiate career in signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins on May 30, 2017. [4]

Bjork's NHL career started with the 2017–18 Bruins season opener, a 4–3 home ice victory over the Nashville Predators, when he scored an assist on fellow Bruins rookie Jake DeBrusk's first-ever NHL goal, for his first point as an NHL player. [5] Bjork's first NHL goal came in the fourth game of the season on the road against the Arizona Coyotes, as the final goal of a 6–2 road win for the Bruins. [6]

On January 30, 2018, during a home-ice game against the visiting Anaheim Ducks, Bjork suffered a season-ending left shoulder injury – he underwent a successful arthroscopy and labral repair three weeks later, and was expected to take six months to fully heal from the surgical repair. [7]

Buffalo Sabres

In the pandemic delayed 2020–21 season, Bjork collected 2 goals and 5 points through 30 regular season games before he was dealt by the Bruins on the eve of the trade deadline along with a 2021 second-round draft pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar on April 11, 2021. [8]

Chicago Blackhawks

In the final year of his contract, on March 2, 2023, on the eve of that season's trade deadline, Bjork was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations. [9] At the time of the trade, Bjork had spent the entire season with Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, save for one game with the Sabres on November 16, 2022. [10] Bjork was recalled from the minors by the Blackhawks and played out the remainder of the season with the team in posting 2 goals and 8 points through 13 appearances.

As a free agent from the Blackhawks, and unable to earn an NHL contract on the open market, Bjork opted to continue his tenure within the Blackhawks organization in signing a one-year AHL contract with affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, on August 10, 2023. [11]

Personal life

Before Notre Dame, Bjork went to high school at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, when he moved there to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. [12] Bjork's family includes several Notre Dame alumni. His parents, Kirt and Patricia, both of whom are of Swedish descent, his sisters Brinya and Keali, and cousin Erik Condra all attended the school. Kirt Bjork also played hockey for Notre Dame. [13] [14] During college Anders was enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. He has a younger brother, Brady, who has committed to play hockey at University of Notre Dame. [14]

Career statistics

Medal record
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2016 Finland
IIHF World U18 Championship
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2014 Finland
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2013 Quebec

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2012–13 U.S. NTDP Juniors USHL 38871528—————
2012–13U.S. NTDP U17USDP5612122448—————
2013–14 U.S. NTDP JuniorsUSHL26912210—————
2013–14U.S. NTDP U18USDP6121204110—————
2014–15 University of Notre Dame HE 417152214—————
2015–16 University of Notre DameHE351223358—————
2016–17 University of Notre DameHE3921315216—————
2017–18 Boston Bruins NHL 3048126—————
2017–18 Providence Bruins AHL 92242—————
2018–19 Boston BruinsNHL201232—————
2018–19 Providence BruinsAHL1319102—————
2019–20 Providence BruinsAHL73584—————
2019–20 Boston BruinsNHL589101910100116
2020–21 Boston BruinsNHL3023510—————
2020–21 Buffalo Sabres NHL153364—————
2021–22 Buffalo SabresNHL5853810—————
2022–23 Rochester Americans AHL428172516—————
2022–23 Buffalo SabresNHL10000—————
2022–23 Chicago Blackhawks NHL132682—————
2023–24 Rockford IceHogs AHL4010172710—————
NHL totals22526356144100116

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2013 United States U17 Bronze medal icon.svg60118
2014 United States U18 Gold medal icon.svg72024
2016 United States WJC Bronze medal icon.svg73030
2017 United States WC 5th50000
2023 United StatesWC4th100222
Junior totals2051612
Senior totals150222

Awards and honors

AwardYear
College
HE Second All-Star Team 2016
HE First All-Star Team 2017
AHCA East Second-Team All-American 2017 [15]
Hobey Baker Award (finalist)2017

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References

  1. ↑ "NCAA hockey: Hobey Baker Memorial Award announces top 10 finalists". March 15, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Hockey East Honors 2016–17 All-Star Teams". March 16, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Hockey East announces award winners". Hockey East. March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Bruins sign forward Anders Bjork to entry-level contract". Boston Bruins. May 30, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  5. ↑ Kalman, Matt (October 5, 2017). "Bruins defeat Predators in season opener". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  6. ↑ Russo, Eric (October 15, 2017). "Bjork Tallies First NHL Goal in Arizona". nhl.com/bruins. Boston Bruins. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  7. ↑ Ryan, Conor (February 22, 2018). "Anders Bjork injury: Boston Bruins rookie forward to miss rest of the season due to shoulder surgery". masslive.com. MassLive. Retrieved May 29, 2018. The Boston Bruins released an update on the 21-year-old forward Thursday, announcing that the rookie underwent a successful left shoulder arthroscopy and labral repair on February 20 at Massachusetts General Hospital. As a result of the procedure, Bjork is expected to be out for six months...Bjork suffered the injury during a loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 30, exiting the game after just 2:43 of time on ice after taking a crosscheck from Francois Beauchemin.
  8. ↑ "Sabres acquire Bjork, 2nd-round draft pick from Bruins for Hall, Lazar". Buffalo Sabres. April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  9. ↑ "RELEASE: Blackhawks Acquire Anders Bjork from Buffalo". NHL.com. March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Blackhawks acquire Bjork from Sabres". TSN . Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  11. ↑ "IceHogs sign Bjork to AHL contract". American Hockey League. August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Anders Bjork". teamusa.usahockey.com. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  13. ↑ John Heisler (April 7, 2017). "The Bjorks: Hockey Is the Family Business". und.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  14. 1 2 Russo, Eric (July 31, 2018). "Impact is Lasting for Bjork, Notre Dame". NHL.com. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  15. ↑ "2016–2017 All-American Team". The American Hockey Coaches Association. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Hockey East Three-Stars Award
2017
With: Clayton Keller and Tyler Kelleher 		Succeeded by
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