Jonas Gustavsson

Lore & Background

Gustavsson began his professional career with AIK in 2002 and played there until 2007, then moved to Färjestad BK in the Elitserien. In 2008–09 he posted a 1.96 goals against average and .932 save percentage in the regular season, and improved to a 1.03 GAA, .961 save percentage and five shutouts in 13 playoff games, leading Färjestad to the league title and being named playoff MVP. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on 7 July 2009. On the first day of camp he was diagnosed with a heart condition requiring ablation surgery. Despite this, he made his NHL debut on 3 October 2009. He recorded his first NHL win on 26 October and his first shutout on 19 December. He won seven straight starts in March 2010, tying the Maple Leafs' rookie record. He was nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2010. After a two-year extension, he was sent to the AHL for conditioning in February 2011, but was pulled from a game due to an accelerated heartbeat and underwent a third ablation surgery. His rights were traded to the Winnipeg Jets on 23 June 2012, but he signed with the Detroit Red Wings on 1 July 2012. With Detroit, he was named NHL First Star of the Week in October 2013 after posting a 3–0–0 record with a 1.67 GAA and .953 save percentage. He signed a one-year extension with Detroit in June 2014. In November 2014 he dislocated his shoulder. He later signed with the Boston Bruins on a one-year contract in October 2015. In January 2016 he was hospitalized with an elevated heart rate but released the next day with no heart problems found. He signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers on 1 July 2016. While playing for their AHL affiliate, he was credited with a short-handed goal on 24 March 2017 after an errant pass by the opposing team went into their own net. He returned to Sweden in May 2017, signing a three-year deal with Linköping HC.

Reader's Guide

Gustavsson's NHL career was marked by persistent health challenges, particularly a recurring heart condition that required multiple ablation surgeries and caused several interruptions to his playing time. Despite these setbacks, he achieved notable milestones: he tied the Maple Leafs' rookie record for longest winning streak, recorded his first NHL shutout against the Boston Bruins, and was named the Maple Leafs' nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2010. His best NHL season came with the Detroit Red Wings in 2013–14, when he posted a 16–5–4 record with a 2.63 GAA and .907 save percentage, and was named NHL First Star of the Week. He also represented Sweden internationally, winning bronze medals at the 2009 and 2010 IIHF World Championships and a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. His career illustrates the challenges of balancing elite-level goaltending with serious medical conditions, and his perseverance through multiple heart procedures was recognized by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. After his NHL career, he returned to Sweden to play for Linköping HC.

Did You Know?

• Gustavsson underwent three minor heart ablation surgeries during his NHL career.
• He was credited with a short-handed goal while playing for the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL on 24 March 2017.
• He won the Elitserien Guldpucken award in 2009.
• He was married by United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy on 19 March 2013.