Niclas Hävelid
Swedish defenceman who won Olympic gold and played in the NHL.
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Niclas Anders Hävelid, born April 12, 1973, in Stockholm but raised in Enköping about 78 kilometers west, is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman. He last played for Linköpings HC in the Swedish Elitserien during the 2012–13 season and won a gold medal with Team Sweden at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Hävelid started his hockey career in Division 1 of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, playing locally around Enköping. After two seasons there, he spent the 1990–91 season with the Arlanda Wings, then moved to Stockholm-based AIK the following year. He stayed with AIK until the 1998–99 season, when he joined the Malmö Redhawks.
NHL
At age 28—unusually old for a draftee—Hävelid was selected 83rd overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut on October 2, 1999, in Dallas, and recorded his first goal, assist, and multiple-point game in one night against the Chicago Blackhawks and goaltender Jocelyn Thibault on November 19. He posted nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 50 games that season, with four of those points coming in a nine-game stretch from December 12 to 29. A broken finger sidelined him for 22 games from January 15 to March 8, 2000, and he played two scoreless games with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks for conditioning.
In the 2000–01 season, Hävelid earned six of his ten assists in a nine-game span from October 16 to 30, including a career-best four-game point streak. He set another career high with two goals and four points against Columbus on December 13. On January 15, 2001, he tore his ACL and partially tore his MCL in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, missing 35 games but still ranking third on the team in average ice time at 21:51.
The 2001–02 season yielded just one goal and two assists, but the 2002–03 season was a standout. One of five Mighty Ducks to play all 82 regular-season games, Hävelid set career highs with 11 goals, 22 assists, and 33 points. He ranked third on the club with a career-best plus-five rating and an average ice time of 22:29. He was second among Anaheim defencemen in points, goals, and assists, and shared the team lead—and ranked third among NHL defencemen—with a career-best five game-winning goals.
Lore & Background
Hävelid began his hockey career in Enköping, Sweden, playing in Division 1 of the SIHA. After two seasons with Enköping, he played for the Arlanda Wings in 1990–91, then moved to AIK in Stockholm, where he stayed until the 1998–99 season before joining the Malmö Redhawks. He was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim at age 28, an unusually late draft age, and made his NHL debut on October 2, 1999, against Dallas. His first NHL goal, assist, and multiple-point game came on November 19, 1999, against the Blackhawks and goaltender Jocelyn Thibault.
Injuries marked his early career: a broken finger cost him 22 games in 1999–2000, and a torn ACL and partial MCL tear in January 2001 sidelined him for 35 games. Despite this, he ranked third on the club in average time on ice (21:51) that season. The 2002–03 season was his best, with career highs of 11 goals, 22 assists, and 33 points, plus a plus-five rating and five game-winning goals. He played all 82 regular-season games and helped the Mighty Ducks reach the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the New Jersey Devils in Game 7.
In the 2004 off-season, he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for Kurtis Foster. Due to the NHL lockout, he played for Södertälje in Sweden, then rejoined the Thrashers for the 2005–06 season. He led the Thrashers in ice time (24:25 average) and blocked shots (190), and was awarded the Dan Snyder Memorial Award as the team's Unsung Hero. He signed a three-year contract extension with the Thrashers in 2006.
Reader's Guide
Niclas Hävelid's significance lies in his late-blooming NHL career and his role as a steady, defensively reliable defenceman. Drafted at age 28, he defied the typical development path and became a key contributor for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, particularly during their 2003 Stanley Cup run, where he recorded four assists in 21 playoff games and helped the team win the Western Conference Championship. His 2002–03 season, with career highs in goals, assists, and points, demonstrated his offensive capability from the blue line. After the lockout, Hävelid joined the Atlanta Thrashers and immediately became a leader in ice time and blocked shots, ranking third in the NHL in blocked shots in 2006–07.
His consistency and durability—playing all 82 games in multiple seasons—made him a reliable presence. The Dan Snyder Memorial Award recognized his unsung contributions. Internationally, his Olympic gold medal with Sweden in 2006 capped his career. Hävelid's path from Swedish lower divisions to the NHL and Olympic glory illustrates perseverance and adaptability, and his career is remembered for its steady, unflashy effectiveness.
Career statistics and honours
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1988–89 | Enköpings HK | SWE III | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Enköpings HK | SWE III | 24 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | R/A 73 HC | SWE II | 30 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | AIK | SEL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1992–93 | AIK | SEL | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | AIK | Allsv | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993–94 | AIK | SWE II | 40 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | AIK | SEL | 40 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | AIK | SEL | 40 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | AIK | SEL | 49 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 42 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 1997–98 | AIK | SEL | 43 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | MIF Redhawks | SEL | 50 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 42 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1999–2000 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 50 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–2000 | Cincinnati Mighty Ducks | AHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 47 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 52 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 82 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 2003–04 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 79 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Södertälje SK | SEL | 46 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 60 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| 2005–06 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 82 | 4 | 28 | 32 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006–07 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 77 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 52 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007–08 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 81 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 63 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 15 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2009–10 | Linköpings HC | SEL | 53 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 28 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
| 2010–11 | Linköpings HC | SEL | 50 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2011–12 | Linköpings HC | SEL | 55 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | Linköpings HC | SEL | 55 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| SEL totals | 513 | 50 | 84 | 134 | 378 | 57 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 62 | ||
| NHL totals | 628 | 34 | 137 | 171 | 342 | 32 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Sweden | EJC | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1993 | Sweden | WJC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1998 | Sweden | WC | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 2004 | Sweden | WC | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2006 | Sweden | OG | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Junior totals | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | ||
| Senior totals | 25 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | ||
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Niclas Hävelid (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Did You Know?
- He played in the fourth longest overtime game in NHL history on April 23, 2003, against the Dallas Stars, which lasted 80:43 of overtime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Niclas Hävelid?
Niclas Hävelid is a Swedish former professional defenceman born on April 12, 1973, in Stockholm and raised in Enköping. He spent his NHL career with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Atlanta Thrashers before retiring from the Elitserien with Linköpings HC in 2013.
What role did Hävelid fill on the ice?
Hävelid was a two-way defenceman known for his reliable defensive play and steady puck-moving ability. His career-high 33-point season (11 goals, 22 assists) in 2002–03 showed he could contribute offensively while anchoring the back end.
What is Hävelid's biggest career accomplishment?
His proudest moment came at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where he helped Team Sweden capture the gold medal. That tournament remains the defining highlight of his international and overall hockey career.
Which NHL team originally selected Hävelid in the draft?
The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim picked him 83rd overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He went on to play five seasons with Anaheim before moving to Atlanta for the 2005–06 through 2008–09 campaigns.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Niclas Hävelid (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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