Rickard Rakell
Swedish forward drafted 30th overall by Anaheim Ducks in 2011.
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Rickard Lars Gunnar Roland Rakell was born on 5 May 1993 in Sollentuna, Sweden, and grew up in Stockholm with his parents Roland and Annika, his brother Robin, and his sister Rebecka. His grandfather, Åke Rakell, was a professional table tennis player, and Rickard played the sport until he was 14 before focusing entirely on ice hockey. As a kid in Stockholm, he looked up to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mats Sundin and later Patric Hornqvist. His cousin Mathias also plays hockey.
Major junior
Rakell played for AIK IF in Sweden’s J18 Elit and J20 Elit leagues. He played defense until age 14, then switched to forward to boost his scoring. After putting up 25 points in the J18 Allsv and four in the J20, the Plymouth Whalers picked him 41st overall in the OHL’s 2010 Import Draft.
Fellow Swede Gabriel Landeskog, already succeeding in the OHL, encouraged him to move to North America. Rakell started his rookie season with the Whalers in 2010–11, initially enrolling in a local high school but dropping out because he lacked North American knowledge; he later earned his high school equivalency online. He tallied 23 points in his first 25 OHL games, earning a spot in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
After that game, NHL Central Scouting ranked him 34th among OHL draft-eligible players. He finished his rookie season with 20 goals and 43 points in 49 games, and was ranked 30th among OHL draft prospects. After attending the NHL Combine, the Anaheim Ducks selected him in the first round, 30th overall, in the 2011 NHL entry draft.
Following the draft, Rakell attended Ducks training camp but was sent back to the Whalers for the 2011–12 season. He broke out, surpassing his rookie totals in goals, assists, and points. By 12 December 2011, he co-led the Whalers with 16 goals and ranked second with 20 assists for 36 points in 31 games. By late January, those numbers had grown to 22 goals and 23 assists for 45 points in 39 games.
He finished the regular season with 28 goals (eight on the power play) and 34 assists over 60 games. The Whalers made the OHL playoffs, and Rakell was voted Best Defensive Forward in the Western Conference Coaches Poll. The team eliminated the Guelph Storm in six games before facing the Kitchener Rangers in the quarterfinals. Rakell led the Whalers in playoff assists (10) and ranked third in points (12).
Lore & Background
Rakell grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, playing table tennis until age 14 before focusing on ice hockey. He played for AIK IF in Sweden's J18 Elit and J20 Elit, initially in a defensive role before switching to forward. He was drafted 41st overall by the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL's 2010 Import Draft, influenced by fellow Swede Gabriel Landeskog's success in North America. After his rookie OHL season, Rakell was selected 30th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL entry draft.
He made his NHL debut on 19 January 2013, becoming the sixth youngest player to appear for the Ducks at 19 years, eight months and 14 days. To avoid burning the first year of his entry-level contract, he was reassigned to the Whalers after four games. During the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, Rakell became the first player in franchise history to score his first career goal in the playoffs, and helped set a franchise record for most playoff power play goals in a game. Two years later, he became the fourth-youngest Duck to eclipse 30 goals in a season and the first NHL player under 24 with 10 game-winning goals since Steven Stamkos in 2011–12.
From Table Tennis to the Ice
Rickard Lars Gunnar Roland Rakell entered the world on 5 May 1993 in Sollentuna, a suburb north of Stockholm, Sweden. Raised by his parents Roland and Annika alongside siblings Robin and Rebecka, the young Rakell initially followed a very different sporting path than the one he would eventually become known for. His grandfather Åke was a professional table tennis player, and Rickard picked up the paddle himself, competing in the sport until he was fourteen. It was only at that age that he redirected his full athletic energy toward ice hockey, joining the AIK IF system and progressing through the J18 Elit and J20 Elit tiers.
Notably, he originally filled a defensive role before switching to forward specifically to increase his scoring output. Growing up in Stockholm, he looked up to Toronto Maple Leafs legend Mats Sundin and, a bit later, Patric Hornqvist as his on-ice role models. His cousin Mathias also pursued a hockey career, creating a small family network around the sport. After posting 25 points in the J18 Allsv and four in the J20, Rakell caught the eye of North American scouts.
Three Seasons in Plymouth
The 2010 OHL Import Draft saw the Plymouth Whalers select Rakell 41st overall, and he later credited fellow Swede Gabriel Landeskog as a key motivator for making the leap to North America. Because Landeskog was a year his senior and already thriving in the OHL, his success gave Rakell the confidence to cross the Atlantic. His rookie campaign in 2010–11 was productive—he tallied 23 points in his first 25 games, earning a berth in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game—but the adjustment was not without friction. He enrolled in a local high school, struggled with the unfamiliar academic environment, and ultimately dropped out, completing the equivalent of a diploma through an online program.
He closed the season with 20 goals and 43 points in 49 games, which propelled him to the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, where the Anaheim Ducks claimed him. The following 2011–12 season was a genuine breakout: 28 goals (eight on the power play) and 34 assists across 60 regular-season games, plus a playoff run in which he led the Whalers with 10 assists. Coaches in the Western Conference even voted him Best Defensive Forward.
A Franchise Cornerstone in Anaheim
Rakell spent nine seasons within the Ducks organization, a stretch during which he accumulated a string of personal and franchise records that cemented his place in Anaheim lore. His NHL debut came on 19 January 2013 against the Vancouver Canucks, making him the sixth-youngest player ever to suit up for the Ducks at 19 years, 8 months, and 14 days. He was slotted on the team's First-Round Line alongside fellow first-round selections Kyle Palmieri and Emerson Etem, though he was reassigned back to Plymouth after just four games to protect the first year of his entry-level deal.
Over his tenure, Rakell helped the Ducks reach the Stanley Cup playoffs on five occasions. In the 2014 postseason he etched his name into franchise history as the first player ever to record a career playoff goal for the Ducks, and in Game 5 of the first-round series against Dallas he contributed to a club record of four playoff power-play goals in a single game. He also became the fourth-youngest Duck to surpass 30 goals in a season and the first player under 24 to post 10 game-winning goals in a campaign since Steven Stamkos in 2011–12.
Sweden's Gold-Medal Forward
On the international stage, Rakell has represented his homeland at both the junior and senior levels, a dual distinction that underscores his importance to Swedish hockey. He first donned the Swedish jersey at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he was the youngest player on the roster—a remarkable feat for a teenager still navigating the transition from Swedish youth leagues to North American major junior.
The highlight of his senior international career arrived at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, where he made his senior team debut on the world stage and helped Sweden capture the gold medal. That tournament marked a significant milestone in his development, transitioning him from a promising young NHL forward to a proven contributor at the highest level of international competition. Back in North America, Rakell's career has continued to evolve; he is currently a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, carrying forward the scoring instincts and two-way awareness that first distinguished him in Stockholm's AIK IF system and later in Plymouth and Anaheim.
Reader's Guide
Rakell's significance lies in his nine-season tenure with the Anaheim Ducks, during which he set multiple personal and franchise records. He was the first player in Ducks history to score his first career goal in the playoffs, doing so during the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. He also contributed to a franchise record for most playoff power play goals in a single game. His 30-goal season made him the fourth-youngest Duck to reach that mark, and he became the first NHL player under 24 with 10 game-winning goals since Steven Stamkos.
Internationally, Rakell represented Sweden at the junior and senior levels, winning gold at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. His early career included being drafted by the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL Import Draft and later by the Ducks in the first round of the NHL entry draft. He played major junior hockey for the Whalers for three seasons, earning recognition as Best Defensive Forward in the Western Conference Coaches Poll. His NHL debut at age 19 made him the sixth-youngest player to appear for the Ducks.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
- Gold 2018 IIHF World Championship
- Silver 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
- Bronze 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge
- Bronze 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2009–10 | AIK | J18 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009–10 | AIK | J18 Allsv | 12 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | AIK | J20 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010–11 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 49 | 20 | 25 | 45 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 60 | 28 | 34 | 62 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 40 | 21 | 23 | 44 | 12 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 10 |
| 2012–13 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013–14 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 46 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013–14 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 18 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 71 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 10 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2014–15 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015–16 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 72 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 19 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016–17 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 71 | 33 | 18 | 51 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 0 |
| 2017–18 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 77 | 34 | 35 | 69 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 69 | 18 | 25 | 43 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 65 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 52 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 51 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 19 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022–23 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 82 | 28 | 32 | 60 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 70 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024–25 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 81 | 35 | 35 | 70 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025–26 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 60 | 24 | 24 | 48 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 862 | 260 | 307 | 567 | 180 | 54 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 2 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sweden | U17 | Bronze | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2010 | Sweden | IH18 | Bronze | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2011 | Sweden | WJC | 4th | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2012 | Sweden | WJC | Gold | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| 2013 | Sweden | WJC | Silver | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 16 |
| 2018 | Sweden | WC | Gold | 10 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 6 |
| 2021 | Sweden | WC | 9th | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | Sweden | 4NF | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2026 | Sweden | OG | 7th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Junior totals | 28 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 28 | |||
| Senior totals | 24 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 8 | |||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| NHL All-Star Game | 2018 | |
| International | ||
| WC All-Star Team | 2018 | |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Rickard Rakell (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
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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: Rickard Rakell (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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