Carl Klingberg
Swedish forward who played six NHL games for the Winnipeg Jets.
Carl Klingberg (born 28 January 1991) is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward who plays for Ilves in the Finnish Liiga. He grew up in Gothenburg and began playing hockey as a child with Lerums BK. His two younger brothers, John and Olle, are also hockey defencemen; John was drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2010.
Klingberg first played in Sweden’s top SHL league for Frölunda HC in the 2008–09 season. The Atlanta Thrashers selected him 34th overall in the second round of the 2009 NHL draft. After finishing the 2010–11 season with Timrå, he joined the Thrashers’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. He made his AHL debut on 19 March in a 3–4 loss to the Oklahoma City Barons and scored his first AHL goal on 27 March in a 2–3 loss to the Rockford Icehogs. He was called up for his NHL debut in Atlanta’s final game as the Thrashers on 10 April against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
When the Thrashers relocated to become the Winnipeg Jets that off-season, Klingberg aimed for an NHL roster spot but was assigned to the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps, on 30 September. He scored in the IceCaps’ 4–1 season-opening win over the Providence Bruins, netted the team’s first home goal, and recorded a hat trick in a 6–2 win against the Hamilton Bulldogs, adding two more goals in a 4–3 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. With nine goals and 16 points in 20 games, he was called up to the Jets, playing six NHL games before being reassigned after the Jets claimed forward Antti Miettinen off waivers. He scored his first NHL goal on 11 April 2014 against Karri Ramo of the Calgary Flames.
Unable to secure a regular spot with the Jets in the 2014–15 season, Klingberg was traded to the New York Rangers on 1 March 2015 for forward Lee Stempniak. He was sent to the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he recorded 11 points in 13 games. Without playing for the Rangers, he signed a one-year contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL on 21 June 2015. After that season, he moved to Switzerland’s EV Zug on a one-year deal on 30 June 2016. During his time with Zug, he received two one-game suspensions and fines of CHF 1,230: one on 8 October 2016 for a hit to the head of EHC Kloten’s Matthias Bieber, and another on 9 January 2017 for a slew-foot on HC Ambrì-Piotta’s Janne Pesonen.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 6 ft 3 in
- Weight
- 212 lb
- Born
- 28 January 1991
- Birthplace
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Position
- Right wing
- Shoots
- Right
- League
- Liiga
- Team
- Ilves
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Klingberg began his professional career in Sweden's SHL with Frölunda HC during the 2008–09 season. After being drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers, he joined their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, in March 2011 and scored his first AHL goal on 27 March. He made his NHL debut on 10 April 2011 in the Thrashers' final game before the franchise relocated to Winnipeg. Following the relocation, Klingberg aimed to start the 2011–12 season with the Jets but was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the St. John's IceCaps, on 30 September. He had a strong start with the IceCaps, scoring a hat trick in a 6–2 win against the Hamilton Bulldogs and tallying six goals in his first six games. After recording nine goals and 16 points in 20 games, he was called up to the Jets and played six NHL games before being reassigned when the Jets acquired Antti Miettinen off waivers. Klingberg scored his first NHL goal on 11 April 2014 against the Calgary Flames. Unable to secure a roster spot with the Jets in the 2014–15 season, he was traded to the New York Rangers on 1 March 2015 for Lee Stempniak, but never played for the Rangers, instead finishing the season with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Reader's Guide
Carl Klingberg's significance lies in his brief tenure with the Winnipeg Jets during the franchise's early years after relocation from Atlanta. He was one of the players drafted by the Thrashers who transitioned to the Jets organization, representing a link between the two franchises. His NHL career with the Jets was limited to six games in the 2011–12 season, during which he was unable to establish a permanent roster spot. After being traded to the New York Rangers in 2015, Klingberg moved to Europe, playing in the KHL for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, then spending several seasons with EV Zug in Switzerland's National League A. He returned to Frölunda in 2023 but experienced a decline in production, leading to his departure in November 2024 to join Ilves of the Finnish Liiga. Klingberg also represented Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics, playing in one game as Sweden finished fifth. His career illustrates the path of a European-drafted player who had a short NHL stint before building a long professional career overseas.
Did You Know?
- Carl Klingberg made his NHL debut in the Atlanta Thrashers' final game before the franchise relocated to become the Winnipeg Jets.
- Klingberg was traded to the New York Rangers for Lee Stempniak on 1 March 2015.
- He played for Team Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
More in Winnipeg Jets Players 1-24
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