Mikael Granlund

Mikael Antero Granlund, born 26 February 1992, is a Finnish forward for the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL. Before joining the Ducks, he played for Oulun Kärpät and HIFK in Finland’s SM-liiga, as well as the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars in the NHL. The Wild picked him ninth overall in the 2010 NHL entry draft.

Granlund started his junior career with Oulun Kärpät in 2007–08 and 2008–09, averaging more than a point per game both seasons and earning a first-team All-Star nod in his junior league in 2009. He made his professional debut with Kärpät’s SM-liiga team on his 17th birthday, but played only two games before a contract dispute arose. Granlund and his agent argued that his four-year junior contract from 2007 was invalid because it didn’t specify his compensation, and that the team had changed the end date on his insurance application from April 2009 to April 2011 without his consent. Kärpät admitted mistakes but said they were made in good faith, aiming to get him into the top team quickly.

Claiming his contracts were void and that he was a free agent, Granlund signed with HIFK Helsinki for 2009–10. Kärpät challenged the move, so Granlund sued them in July 2009 to cancel his contracts and clear the way for HIFK. The sides settled a month later, allowing the transfer. That season, he scored 13 goals and 27 assists in 43 games, leading all rookies with 40 points. He won the Jarmo Wasama Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie and, with just two penalty minutes all season, also took the Raimo Kilpiö Trophy as the most gentlemanly player. Finland named him its Young Athlete of the Year for 2009.

Granlund played for Finland’s national junior teams at the Under-18 and Under-20 World Championships in 2009 and 2010. At the 2010 U18 Championship, he led the tournament in assists (9) and finished third in points (13), helping Finland win its second straight bronze. At the 2010 World Junior Championship, he was Finland’s top scorer with seven points as the team placed fifth.

The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Granlund the top European skater prospect for the 2010 draft. Scouts noted his small size (5’10”) but praised his on-ice vision. The Wild selected him ninth overall. Because his contract ran through 2010–11, he returned to HIFK for another season. A concussion in mid-October sidelined him for over two months, causing him to miss the 2011 World Junior Championship. Acting mainly as a playmaker, he helped HIFK win the SM-liiga title and finished second in playoff scoring (5 goals, 11 assists for 16 points), behind teammate Juha-Pekka Haataja (8 goals, 8 assists).

After the 2010–11 SM-liiga season, Granlund debuted for the senior Finnish national team at the 2011 World Championship. In the semifinal against Russia, he scored a lacrosse-style goal using a full-speed “high wrap,” helping Finland win gold. In May 2011, HC Dinamo Minsk of the KHL claimed his playing rights, having drafted him a year before the Wild. However, due to Finland’s mandatory military service, Granlund stayed with HIFK through 2011–12. He said he wasn’t interested in the KHL and planned to play in the NHL.

Granlund signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Wild in the 2012 off-season. The NHL lockout delayed the 2012–13 season, so he started with the Wild’s AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros. After the lockout ended, he made the Wild’s opening-night roster and scored his first NHL goal in his debut on 19 January 2013 against Colorado’s Semyon Varlamov. In his sophomore season, he improved to 8 goals and 33 assists.

Midway through the year, he moved to Minnesota’s top line, often alongside Jason Pominville and Zach Parise. On 21 April 2014, he scored an overtime goal to give the Wild a playoff win over Colorado. In 2014–15, he again played on the top line with Pominville and Parise, recording 8 goals and 31 assists. The 2015–16 season saw him center the second line with various wingers due to injuries and line changes.

Late in the season, interim head coach John Torchetti moved him to the first-line wing with fellow Finn Mikko Koivu, sparking a scoring surge—Torchetti said Granlund benefited from being freed from defensive duties. He performed well in the Wild’s short playoff run, with Torchetti calling him the team’s “best competitor.” On 1 August 2017, the Wild re-signed Granlund.