Oscar Lindberg (ice hockey)
Swedish forward who scored the Golden Knights' first home goal.
Oscar Lindberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward, born on 29 October 1991, who currently plays for Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League. He has also played in the NHL for the New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Ottawa Senators. Internationally, Lindberg represented Sweden at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was part of the Swedish team that won gold at the 2013 IIHF World Championship.
Lindberg was ranked seventh among European skaters by the Central Scouting Bureau for the 2010 NHL entry draft, but was selected in the second round, 57th overall, by the Phoenix Coyotes. In May 2011, the Coyotes traded him to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ethan Werek. During the 2012–13 season, Lindberg won the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy as the SHL playoffs MVP. He played his first NHL game for the Rangers on 24 February 2015, filling in for an ill Rick Nash in a 1–0 victory. After being named the Rangers’ best rookie in training camp in 2015, he made the opening-night roster and scored his first NHL goal against Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks.
In the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, the Rangers left Lindberg unprotected, and he was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights. He signed a two-year, $3.4 million contract with Vegas as a restricted free agent in July 2017. Lindberg scored his first goal for the Golden Knights during the franchise’s first home game on 10 October 2017. In February 2019, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators along with Erik Brännström and a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, in exchange for Mark Stone and Tobias Lindberg (no relation).
After his NHL stint, Lindberg joined EV Zug of the Swiss National League on a one-year deal with an option for a second season in August 2019. In the shortened 2019–20 season, he recorded 14 goals and 30 points in 46 games before the campaign was cancelled due to COVID-19. He then moved to the KHL, signing a one-year contract with HC Dynamo Moscow in May 2020. During the 2021–22 season, he played only 24 regular-season games but maintained a point-per-game pace with 25 points. In June 2022, Lindberg returned to the Swiss National League, agreeing to a two-year contract with SC Bern.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 29 October 1991
- Birth Place
- Skellefteå, Sweden
- Height Cm
- 185
- Weight Kg
- 92
- Position
- Centre
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- SHL
- Team
- Skellefteå AIK
- Former Teams
- New York Rangers / Vegas Golden Knights / Ottawa Senators / EV Zug / Dynamo Moscow / SC Bern
- Ntl Team
- SWE
- Draft
- 57th overall
- Draft Year
- 2010
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Lindberg was ranked seventh among European skaters by the Central Scouting Bureau for the 2010 NHL entry draft but was selected in the second round, 57th overall, by the Phoenix Coyotes. He was traded to the New York Rangers on 8 May 2011 in exchange for Ethan Werek. In the 2012–13 season, he received the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy as the SHL playoffs' Most Valuable Player. He played his first NHL game on 24 February 2015, filling in for Rick Nash, and scored his first NHL goal on opening night of the 2015–16 season against Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks.
In the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, Lindberg was left unprotected by the Rangers and selected by the Vegas Golden Knights. He signed a two-year, $3.4 million contract with the Golden Knights on 4 July 2017. On 10 October 2017, he scored the first goal in the franchise's first home game. On 25 February 2019, Lindberg was traded to the Ottawa Senators along with Erik Brännström and a second-round pick in the 2020 draft in exchange for Mark Stone and Tobias Lindberg. He later played for EV Zug in Switzerland, HC Dynamo Moscow in the KHL, and SC Bern before returning to Sweden with Skellefteå AIK.
Reader's Guide
Oscar Lindberg's career is notable for his role in the Vegas Golden Knights' inaugural season, particularly scoring the franchise's first home goal on 10 October 2017. His path to the NHL included being a highly ranked European prospect who fell to the second round of the 2010 draft, then being traded from Phoenix to New York. He earned the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy as SHL playoff MVP before breaking into the Rangers' lineup. Lindberg's selection by Vegas in the 2017 Expansion Draft made him part of the Golden Knights' expansion story, and his subsequent trade to Ottawa alongside top prospect Erik Brännström helped bring Mark Stone to Vegas. After his NHL tenure, Lindberg continued his career in top European leagues, including the Swiss National League and the KHL, before returning to the SHL with Skellefteå AIK. His international experience includes representing Sweden at the World Juniors and winning a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Championship.
Did You Know?
- He scored the first goal in Vegas Golden Knights franchise history at their first home game on 10 October 2017.
- He was traded from the Rangers to the Golden Knights via the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.
More in Vegas Golden Knights Players 1-24
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