Mario Kempe

Not to be confused with Mario Kempes.

Mario Kempe
Kempe with Modo Hockey in October 2013
Born	(1988-09-19) 19 September 1988 (age 35) Kramfors, Sweden
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Left
NL team Former teams	HC Lugano Rögle BK Djurgardens IF Modo Vityaz Arizona Coyotes CSKA Moscow Dinamo Minsk Luleå HF
National team	Sweden
NHL draft	122nd overall, 2007 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	2008–present

Mario Kempe (born 19 September 1988) is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger for HC Lugano of the National League (NL). He has formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Arizona Coyotes.

Playing career

Kempe first started skating when he was five years old on an outdoor rink in his hometown of Kramfors. He represented Ångermanland twice in TV-pucken while playing for Modo Hockey's junior teams in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. During the 2005–06 season, Kempe represented Team Sweden at the 2006 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.

Kempe with the St. John's Fog Devils

That following summer, Kempe was drafted 31st overall in the 2006 CHL Import Draft by the St. John's Fog Devils of the QMJHL. Kempe made the trip to North America and cracked the Fog Devils lineup. He was named an assistant captain during his rookie season.

Kempe finished the season tied for 6th among QMJHL rookies in goals and 11th in points, and was voted "Fastest Skater in the Eastern Division".^{[ citation needed ]} Kempe was ranked 50th among North American prospects on Central Scouting's final report heading into the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.^{[ citation needed ]} He was chosen in the 5th round, 122nd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Kempe returned to his native Sweden after completing two seasons in the QMJHL. He signed with Rögle BK of Elitserien in the off-season and recorded two goals and eight assists in thirty games-played. After receiving limited ice time during the first half of the year he was traded to Mora IK of the second-highest level league in Sweden. He signed a two-year contract with Djurgården on 16 June 2010. ^[1]

Following the 2016–17 campaign and after three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Vityaz, Kempe left as a free agent and returned to North America in securing a one-year, two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL) on 16 May 2017. ^[2] On 28 May 2018, he signed a one-year contract extension with the Coyotes. ^[3]

On 5 July 2019, Kempe signed a one-year two-way contract with the Los Angeles Kings, joining brother Adrian. ^[4] He was assigned to the Ontario Reign for the beginning of the 2019–20 season. ^[5] Named as an alternate captain for the Reign, Kempe registered 3 goals and 11 points through 16 games in the AHL before he was placed on unconditional waivers by the Kings in order for a mutual termination of his contract on 19 November 2019. ^[6]

As a free agent, Kempe returned for a second stint in Russia and the KHL, agreeing to a two-year contract with reigning Gagarin Cup champions CSKA Moscow on 21 November 2019. ^[7]

At the conclusion of his contract with CSKA, Kempe left the club and continued in the KHL with Belarusian outfit, Dinamo Minsk, on a one-year contract on 26 August 2021. ^[8]

On 29 November 2022, Kempe signed a two-year contract with Luleå HF of the SHL. ^[9] His 2022–23 season ended in February 2023 due to a fractured kneecap, which required surgery. ^{[10] [11]}

International play

On 9 May 2019, Kempe was named to make his senior international debut with Sweden at the 2019 World Championships held in Bratislava, Slovakia. ^[12]

Personal life

Kempe's younger brother, Adrian, plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. ^[13] Mario is named after Mario Kempes who is the Argentine former professional footballer. ^[14]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003–04	Ångermanland	TV-Pucken		5	3	2	5	4		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Ångermanland	TV-Pucken		5	2	0	2	12		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Modo Hockey	J18		14	5	7	12	40		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Modo Hockey	J20		36	20	12	32	26		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Modo Hockey	J18		6	4	2	6	29		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	St. John's Fog Devils	QMJHL		62	23	19	42	51		4	0	0	0	2
2007–08	St. John's Fog Devils	QMJHL		48	25	24	49	36		6	4	3	7	8
2008–09	Rögle BK	SEL		30	2	8	10	8		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Mora IK	Allsv		17	9	3	12	6		3	0	0	0	2
2008–09	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL		5	0	0	0	2		3	0	0	0	2
2009–10	Rögle BK	SEL		51	7	11	18	14		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Djurgårdens IF	SEL		54	10	7	17	6		7	0	0	0	0
2011–12	Djurgårdens IF	SEL		52	8	7	15	14		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Modo Hockey	SEL		53	15	12	27	12		5	0	0	0	0
2013–14	Modo Hockey	SHL		54	9	8	17	18		2	0	0	0	0
2014–15	Vityaz Podolsk	KHL		54	13	19	32	52		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Vityaz Podolsk	KHL		56	12	5	17	64		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Vityaz Podolsk	KHL		56	14	20	34	28		4	0	1	1	0
2017–18	Tucson Roadrunners	AHL		47	18	19	37	22		9	4	3	7	6
2017–18	Arizona Coyotes	NHL		18	2	2	4	4		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Arizona Coyotes	NHL		52	4	5	9	18		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Tucson Roadrunners	AHL		10	5	6	11	8		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Ontario Reign	AHL		16	3	8	11	8		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	CSKA Moscow	KHL		28	5	15	20	6		4	1	0	1	6
2020–21	CSKA Moscow	KHL		34	11	11	22	20		12	0	0	0	31
2021–22	Dinamo Minsk	KHL		31	6	11	17	12		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Luleå HF	SHL		12	0	3	3	2		—	—	—	—	—
SHL totals				306	51	56	107	74		14	0	0	0	0
KHL totals				259	61	81	142	182		20	1	1	2	37
NHL totals				70	6	7	13	22		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006	Sweden	U18	6th		5	0	1	1	27
2008	Sweden	WJC			6	0	0	0	2
2019	Sweden	WC	5th		4	1	1	2	2
2021	Sweden	WC	9th		7	2	0	2	0
Junior totals					11	0	1	1	29
Senior totals					11	3	1	4	2

References

1. "Rögleforward till Djurgården". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 16 June 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
2. "Coyotes sign Kempe to one-year contract". NHL.com. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
3. "Coyotes Sign Kempe to One-Year Contract". NHL.com. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
4. "LA Kings sign Mario Kempe to a one-year, two-way contract". Los Angeles Kings. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
5. "LA Kings Announce 23-Man Roster Ahead of 2019-20 Season". Los Angeles Kings. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
6. "LA Kings place Kempe on unconditional waivers". The Sports Network. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
7. "Mario Kempe will replenish the composition of CSKA" (in Russian). HC CSKA Moscow. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
8. "Mario Kempe moves to Dinamo Minsk" (in Russian). HC Dinamo Minsk. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
9. Hedlund, Robert (29 November 2022). "Mario Kempe klar för Luleå Hockey". www.luleahockey.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
10. Hedlund, Robert (17 February 2023). "Mario Kempe missar resten av säsongen". www.luleahockey.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
11. Nyblom Hardie, Clara (17 February 2023). "Inget mer spel för Mario Kempe den här säsongen". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
12. "Sweden announces roster for 2019 World Championships" (in Swedish). swehockey.se. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
13. Vest, Dave (3 December 2018). "'Yotes Notes: Kempe Hoping to Play vs. Younger Brother for First Time". NHL.com. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
14. "Döpt efter en skyttekung". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 9 October 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2021.

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