On Friday (Jan. 17) the Edmonton Oilers made news by signing veteran defenceman John Klingberg to a one-year, $1 million pro-rated contract.
Klingberg last suited up for a game in November 2023 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He missed the last several months of the 2023-24 season after being placed on long-term injured reserve with a hip injury, before becoming a free agent.
A native of Gothenburg, Sweden, Klingberg has played 10 seasons in the NHL, spending his first eight with the Dallas Stars before brief stints with the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Maple Leafs.
Klingberg is 32 years old, stands 6-foot-2, weighs 185 pounds, and shoots right. Here are five other things to know about the newest Oiler.
Klingberg Among the Best of His Draft Class
Klingberg was selected by Dallas in the fifth round with the 131st overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft. He was the 40th defenceman taken.
Nearly 15 years later, it’s safe to say Klingberg far outperformed his draft slot. Of all blueliners selected in 2010, he has played the sixth-most games (633), scored the third-most goals (81), dished out the second-most assists (331), and recorded the third-most points (412).
Klingberg is also one of only four players drafted after the first round in 2010 to have been selected to an NHL All-Star Game, receiving that honour during the 2017-18 season when he racked up a career-high 67 points.
Klingberg’s Got a Pal on the Oilers
Klingberg is great friends with current Edmonton forward and fellow Swede Mattias Janmark, who is also 32. The two were teammates with the Stars for four seasons between 2015-16 and 2019-20, and Janmark stayed at Klingberg’s house when the former began his NHL career with Dallas in 2015-16.
Related: Oilers Sign Defender John Klingberg to 1-Year Contract
When deciding to sign Klingberg, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman consulted with Janmark to get a feel for Klingberg’s character. Obviously, the feedback was positive.
Klingberg’s Had Success in Edmonton
Klingberg’s first time skating in Canada was as a member of Team Sweden at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, which was co-hosted by Edmonton and Calgary. The final saw Sweden defeat Russia 1-0 in overtime. That remains one of the only two gold medals for Sweden in World Juniors history.
In 2020, when the Western Conference and championship rounds of the NHL Playoffs were held in Edmonton because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Klingberg helped Dallas advance to the Stanley Cup Final. He had a phenomenal postseason performance at Rogers Place, racking up 21 points in 26 games. Dallas ultimately lost the championship series in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Klingberg’s most recent time playing in Edmonton came as a member of the Ducks, on Dec. 17, 2022, at Rogers Place. He broke a 3-3 tie in the third period when he scored what proved to be the deciding goal of Anaheim’s 4-3 victory over the Oilers.
Klingberg’s a World Champion
In addition to his gold medal at the 2012 World Juniors, Klingberg has twice won gold at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship, helping Sweden capture back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. He scored the winning goal of Sweden’s semi-final victory over Finland in 2017.
The 2018 Swedish team included four current Oilers: winger Viktor Arvidsson, defenceman Mattias Ekholm, Klingberg and Janmark.
Klingberg also competed at Worlds in 2015 and 2019, which saw Sweden finish fifth in both years. He has 22 points in 32 career World Championship games.
Klingberg Is From a Hockey Family
Klingberg’s older brother, Carl, is a forward who appeared in 12 games with the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets over four seasons between 2010-11 and 2014-15. Carl has spent the last decade playing in Europe, where he currently plays for Ilves of the Finnish Elite League.
The younger brother of John and Carl, Olle, played several seasons in the lower tiers of Swedish pro hockey. Their father, Anders, was a coach.
It remains to be seen when Klingberg will make his Oilers debut. Edmonton wraps up a three-game road trip against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena tonight (Jan. 18), before returning to Rogers Place for a six-game homestand that begins Tuesday (Jan. 21) against the Washington Capitals.
