Jonathan Ericsson

For those of a similar name, see John Erickson (disambiguation).

Jonathan Ericsson
Ericsson with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2008
Born	(1984-03-02) 2 March 1984 (age 39) Karlskrona, Sweden
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Defense
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Free Agent Södertälje SK Detroit Red Wings
National team	Sweden
NHL Draft	291st overall, 2002 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	2003–present

Jonathan Ericsson (born 2 March 1984) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ericsson was drafted in the ninth round, 291st overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, the final pick of the draft. He has played his entire NHL career with the Red Wings organization.

Playing career

Ericsson originally began his playing career as a centre, playing all but one game of the 2001–02 season at the position for HC Vita Hästen's junior team. However, after playing one game as a defenceman, Detroit Red Wings scout Håkan Andersson convinced Ericsson to permanently transition to defence. ^[1]

Ericsson was drafted 291st overall in the ninth round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft as the last player selected in the draft by Detroit. ^{[2] [3]}

Throughout his next four seasons, Ericsson played for several teams in his native Sweden, a period of time which also saw him switching between centre and defence as his teams saw fit. After his 2005–06 season, Detroit signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract and brought him to the United States to play for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Ericsson with the Detroit Red Wings in 2009

Ericsson then played his first career NHL game on 22 February 2008, against the Calgary Flames, and scored his first career NHL goal the following game, on 26 February, against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mathieu Garon. Although he did not qualify under NHL rules to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, Ericsson was nonetheless included on the 2008 Detroit Red Wings' Stanley Cup-winning team photograph, also being awarded a Stanley Cup ring for his efforts with the team. During the 2008–09 regular season, he recorded one goal and three assists. ^[1] On 16 April 2009, Ericsson played in his first Stanley Cup playoff game with the Red Wings, in Game 1 of the first round of the 2009 playoffs against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He recorded his first career playoff point in this game, a goal.

In Game 1 of the second round of the 2009 playoffs, against the Anaheim Ducks, Ericsson recorded two assists and also fought Ducks winger Corey Perry. Ericsson would then score a goal and an assist in Detroit's Western Conference Final matchup with the team's division rival, the Chicago Blackhawks, and recorded two goals with an assist in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ericsson scored Detroit's only goal in Game 7 of their 2–1 loss to Pittsburgh. At the end of the season, he won the 2009 Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA)-Detroit Red Wings Rookie of the Year Award.

In 2008, Ericsson signed a three-year contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings carrying an annual average of $2.7 million. ^[4] In 2009–10 season, Ericsson scored four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 62 games. In 2011, he signed a three-year $9.75 million contract with the Red Wings.

On 27 November 2013, Ericsson signed a six-year, $25.5 million contract extension with the Red Wings. ^[5]

During the 2016–17 season, Ericsson suffered a season-ending wrist injury in February, limiting him to 51 games in which he contributed 9 points. ^[6]

On 23 October 2019, Ericsson was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. ^[7] During the 2019–20 season, he recorded two assists in 10 games for the Griffins. He was recalled by the Red Wings on 13 November. ^[8]

International play

Medal record
Representing   Sweden
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
	2014 Sochi
World Championships
	2010 Germany

Ericsson's older brother, Jimmie Ericsson, is a forward currently playing for Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League. The Ericsson brothers were set to play together professionally for the first time at the 2010 World Championships. Following Detroit's elimination in the 2010 playoffs, Jonathan joined Sweden's national team at the World Championships. The brothers were originally in the lineup together, though Jimmie injured his knee on his first shift, missing the remainder of the tournament; the two were never on the ice together. In the tournament, Jonathan Ericsson finished the tournament with the most average minutes per game amongst Swedish skaters, ^[9] and was also selected as one of the best players on the team as selected by the coach. ^[10] The brothers eventually played together for the first time at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where they won a silver medal after losing to Canada in the tournament final. ^[11]

Personal life

Ericsson married long-time girlfriend Evelina Hedman in July 2014. In October 2013, Evelina gave birth to a daughter, Liv. She was named in memory of Ericsson's friend and former teammate Stefan Liv. ^[12]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002–03	HC Vita Hästen	Div.1		40	2	4	6	36		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Södertälje SK	J20		16	3	4	7	18		2	0	0	0	0
2003–04	Södertälje SK	SEL		42	1	0	1	12		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Södertälje SK	J20		7	0	2	2	6		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Södertälje SK	SEL		15	0	0	0	4		1	0	0	0	0
2004–05	Huddinge IK	Allsv		24	4	7	11	36		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Södertälje SK	J20		1	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Södertälje SK	SEL		24	0	0	0	20		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Almtuna IS	Allsv		19	2	3	5	44		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		67	5	24	29	102		7	0	0	0	8
2007–08	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		69	10	24	34	83		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		8	1	0	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		40	2	13	15	48		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		19	1	3	4	15		22	4	4	8	25
2009–10	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		62	4	9	13	44		12	0	2	2	8
2010–11	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		74	3	12	15	87		11	1	2	3	4
2011–12	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		69	1	10	11	47		5	0	0	0	6
2012–13	HC Vita Hästen	Div.1		3	0	3	3	4		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Södertälje SK	Allsv		4	0	1	1	6		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		45	3	10	13	29		14	0	3	3	2
2013–14	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		48	1	10	11	34		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		82	3	12	15	70		7	0	4	4	8
2015–16	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		71	3	12	15	56		5	0	1	1	2
2016–17	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		51	1	8	9	63		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		81	3	10	13	47		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		52	3	2	5	35		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		10	0	2	2	8		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		18	0	0	0	4		—	—	—	—	—
SEL totals				81	1	0	1	36		1	0	0	0	0
NHL totals				680	27	98	125	535		76	5	16	21	55

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2010	Sweden	WC			7	0	3	3	2
2012	Sweden	WC	6th		2	1	0	1	2
2014	Sweden	OG			6	0	1	1	8
Senior totals					15	1	4	5	12

Awards

• Named to the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Team in 2008. ^[13]
• Named as Detroit Red Wings' "Rookie of the Year" by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association in 2009. ^[14]

See also

• List of Olympic medalist families

References

1. "Red Wings Central prospects – Jonathan Ericsson". Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
2. "Jonathan Ericsson – player profile and career stats". European Hockey.Net. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
3. "Grand Rapids Griffins: Roster". Grand Rapids Griffins. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
4. "Ericsson is secret no more". The Detroit News. 1 October 2008. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
5. "Wings signs Ericsson to six-year deal". Detroit Red Wings. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
6. "Jonathan Ericsson to miss 3 months with wrist fracture". ESPN. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
7. "Red Wings Assign Ericsson, Recall Biega". Grand Rapids Griffins. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
8. DiFilippo, Alex (13 November 2019). "Red Wings recall Jonathan Ericsson from Grand Rapids". Detroit Red Wings . Retrieved 13 November 2019.
9. "Player Statistics Per Team" (PDF). IIHF . 23 May 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
10. "Best Players of Each Team Selected by the Coaches" (PDF). IIHF . 23 May 2010.
11. Ericsson brothers headed to Sochi Games
12. "It was love at first sight for Ericsson". National Hockey League . Retrieved 24 February 2017.
13. "2008 PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Team". AHL. Archived from the original on 1 February 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
14. "Jonathan Ericsson named Red Wings' top rookie". mlive.com. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.

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
• Red Wings Central prospects – Jonathan Ericsson