Anders Lindbäck

Lore & Background

Lindbäck began his career with Brynäs IF's junior team in 2003 and played his first elite game in 2006. He was loaned to Almtuna IS for the 2007–08 season.

Drafted by the Nashville Predators in the seventh round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, he signed with Timrå IK for the 2009–10 season before moving to North America for the 2010–11 season. He made his NHL debut on 9 October 2010 in relief of Pekka Rinne against the Anaheim Ducks. He recorded his first NHL shutout on 11 December 2010 against the Florida Panthers and his second two days later against the New York Islanders.

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Lindbäck played for Ilves in the Finnish Liiga, posting a .930 save percentage and 2.33 goals against average in 12 games. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on 15 June 2012 along with Kyle Wilson and a seventh-round pick for Sébastien Caron and multiple draft picks.

After two seasons with Tampa Bay, he signed with the Dallas Stars on 1 July 2014, then was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Jhonas Enroth. He later signed with the Arizona Coyotes on 1 July 2015. Following a tryout with the New Jersey Devils and a stint with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, he returned to Sweden to play for Rögle BK in the SHL for the remainder of the 2016–17 season.

Lindbäck returned to the Nashville Predators on a one-year, two-way contract on 1 July 2017. He then played for Davos of the Swiss National League, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL, and Jokerit of the KHL before signing a three-year contract with Brynäs IF on 20 May 2022. After not playing for nine months, he signed a six-week contract with the Vienna Capitals of the ICEHL on 4 October 2024, then joined Färjestad BK on 4 February 2025 as the team's third-string goaltender.

Reader's Guide

Anders Lindbäck's career is notable for its longevity and breadth across multiple leagues and countries. He was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the seventh round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft despite being diagnosed with Adult-onset Still's disease months before the draft, which contributed to his late selection. He made his NHL debut in relief of Pekka Rinne and recorded back-to-back shutouts in December 2010. His trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012 involved multiple draft picks, and he later played for the Dallas Stars, Buffalo Sabres, and Arizona Coyotes.

After a series of subpar NHL seasons, he continued his career in the AHL, SHL, Swiss National League, KHL, and ICEHL. Lindbäck holds the record for the shortest time played by any participant in the Ice Hockey World Championships, having played one second in Sweden's 2010 bronze medal game against Germany. He is close friends with former teammate Patric Hörnqvist and childhood friend Jacob Markström, with whom he played for Brynäs IF during the 2008–09 season.