Håkan Loob
Swedish forward, first NHL 50-goal scorer from Sweden, Triple Gold Club member.
Håkan Per Loob was born on 3 July 1960 on the island of Gotland, growing up in the small town of Slite. His family has Estonian roots: his grandparents, along with their children—including Loob’s father, Paul—fled Estonia in 1944 during the German occupation, crossing the Baltic Sea from the island of Kihnu in a small boat. Loob began playing ice hockey at age five, after an artificial rink was built near his home. As a youth, he was active in tennis, handball, football, and sailing, and was one of Sweden’s best table tennis prospects, winning the Tommy Sport Cup at age eleven. At 15, he made his senior debut for IK Graip and dropped all other sports to focus on hockey.
Loob started his senior career in Sweden’s lower divisions, playing for IK Graip Slite and Roma IF Romakloster in the third division, then spending two seasons with second-division Karlskrona IK. He moved up to the Elitserien with Färjestad BK in 1979–80, scoring 15 goals and 19 points in 36 games. The following season, he netted 23 goals as Färjestad won its first Le Mat Trophy as Swedish champions. In 1982–83, Loob set Elitserien records with 42 goals and 76 points—marks that still stand today. That season earned him the Guldpucken as Swedish player of the year.
The Calgary Flames had selected Loob in the ninth round, 181st overall, of the 1980 NHL entry draft, but he did not join them until after his record-setting season. Flames general manager Cliff Fletcher called him the “Gretzky of Sweden.” In his rookie NHL season (1983–84), Loob scored 30 goals and 55 points, earning a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team. He improved to 37 goals in 1984–85, tying teammate Kent Nilsson for the team lead, and led the Flames outright with 31 goals in 1985–86, also winning the Molson Cup for most three-star selections. A shoulder injury hampered him in 1986–87, limiting him to 18 goals and 44 points; he had surgery after the season.
Healthy again in 1987–88, Loob became the first Swedish player to score 50 goals in an NHL season. He also set a Flames franchise record with five hat tricks that year, finishing sixth in league goal scoring (50) and ninth in points (106). He was named a First Team All-Star on the right wing and won the Viking Award as the top Swedish NHL player.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Right wing
- Played For
- Färjestad BK / Calgary Flames
- Shoots
- Right
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 9
- Weight Lb
- 176
- Ntl Team
- SWE
- Birth Date
- 3 July 1960
- Birth Place
- Slite, Sweden
- Draft
- 181st overall
- Draft Year
- 1980
- Draft Team
- Calgary Flames
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Loob grew up in the small town of Slite on Gotland. He started playing ice hockey at age five when an artificially frozen rink was built near his home. In his youth he was active in tennis, handball, football, and sailing, and was one of Sweden's best table tennis talents, winning the Tommy Sport Cup in 1971 at age eleven. At age 15 he made his senior debut for IK Graip and quit all other sports to focus on hockey.
Loob joined Färjestad BK in 1979 and won the Swedish championship in 1981. In 1982–83 he set Elitserien records of 42 goals and 76 points, which remain SHL records, and won the Guldpucken as Swedish player of the year. He moved to North America for the 1983–84 season after being drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1980. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1983–84 and became the first Swedish player to score 50 goals in an NHL season in 1987–88, earning a First All-Star Team selection. He won the Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989 and then returned to Sweden.
Rejoining Färjestad, Loob won consecutive Guldhjälmen awards as the Elitserien's most valuable player in 1991 and 1992. He retired in 1996 as the Elitserien's all-time leading goal scorer with 305 goals combined between regular season and playoffs. He then became the club's general manager, leading Färjestad to four Elitserien titles in 11 seasons before being elevated to team president. He later resigned as president of Hockey Operations for Färjestad and became head of European Scouting for the Calgary Flames.
Reader's Guide
Håkan Loob's significance lies in his pioneering role as the first Swedish player to score 50 goals in an NHL season, a milestone he achieved with the Calgary Flames in 1987–88. He was also one of the first three members of the Triple Gold Club, alongside Tomas Jonsson and Mats Näslund, having won the Stanley Cup (1989), the World Championship (1987 and 1991), and an Olympic gold medal (1994). His Elitserien records of 42 goals and 76 points in 1982–83 still stand as SHL records, and the league created the Håkan Loob Trophy in his honour in 2005, awarded to the top goal scorer. Färjestad BK retired his jersey number 5. After his playing career, Loob served as general manager of Färjestad for 11 seasons, winning four Elitserien titles, and later became team president. He then resigned as president of Hockey Operations for Färjestad and took on the role of head of European Scouting for the Calgary Flames. His international career included representing Sweden at multiple World Championships, Canada Cups, and Olympic Games, culminating in the 1994 Olympic gold medal won in a shootout against Canada.
Did You Know?
- Loob was one of the first three members of the Triple Gold Club, along with Tomas Jonsson and Mats Näslund.
- Loob won the Tommy Sport Cup in table tennis at age eleven in 1971.
- He scored the assist on Lanny McDonald's final NHL goal in the 1989 Stanley Cup clinching game.
More in Calgary Flames Players 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced