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Mats Naslund

Born:October 13, 1959Draft:1979 Canadiens 37th Overall
Hometown:Timra, SwedenPosition:Left Wing
Known For:“Le Petit Viking”Shoots:Left
National Team:SwedenCurrent Team:Retired

Mats Torsten Näslund (born 31 October 1959), nicknamed “Le Petit Viking“, is a Swedish former ice hockey player. He played as a left wing. Joining the Montreal Canadiens in 1982-83, he became the first European-born player to play for the Canadiens. After winning a gold medal in the 1994 Olympics, Naslund – along with Hakan Loob and Tomas Jonsson – became the first member of the Triple Gold Club. He was also the assistant general manager and helped build the Swedish team that won the Olympic gold medal in 2006.

Mats Naslund #26
Mats Naslund, Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mats Naslund Statistics

Deeper Dive

Achievements

  • IIHF World Juniors All-Star Team (1978)
  • IIHF World Championships Bronze Medal (1979)
  • Olympic Bronze Medal (1980)
  • Swedish League Champion (1980, 1992, 1994)
  • Swedish Hockey Player of the Year (1980)
  • IIHF World Championships Silver Medal (1981)
  • NHL All-Rookie Team (1983)
  • NHL All-Star Game (1984, 1986, 1988, 1989)
  • NHL Second All-Star Team (1986)
  • Stanley Cup Winner (1986)
  • Lady Byng Trophy (1988)
  • IIHF World Championships Gold Medal (1991)
  • Olympic Gold Medal (1994)

Sources