Anton Forsberg

Anton Forsberg (born 27 November 1992) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the seventh round (188th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Forsberg also played for the Lake Erie Monsters and went undefeated during the playoffs en route to winning the 2016 Calder Cup playoffs.

Anton Forsberg
Forsberg with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014
Born (1992-11-27) 27 November 1992 (age 31)
Härnösand, Sweden
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
PositionGoaltender
CatchesLeft
NHL team
Former teams
Ottawa Senators
Modo Hockey
Columbus Blue Jackets
Chicago Blackhawks
Carolina Hurricanes
NHL draft188th overall, 2011
Columbus Blue Jackets
Playing career2008–present

Playing career

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Forsberg with Modo Hockey in 2013

Swedish Hockey League

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Forsberg played in his native Sweden as a youth with Modo Hockey. In the 2011–12 season, Forsberg made his senior debut with Modo in the top tier Elitserien. He was eventually drafted 188th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.[1]

The year following his draft, he was selected to compete for Team Sweden at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

National Hockey League

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Columbus Blue Jackets

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On 28 May 2013, the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Forsberg to a three-year, entry-level contract,[2] and he was assigned to play with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League (AHL) after the completion of the 2013–14 SHL season.[3] Forsberg subsequently played his first professional game in North America on 1 April 2014, stopping 25 of 26 shots to lead the Springfield Falcons to a 3–1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.[4] During the 2014–15 AHL season, he helped the Falcons reach a new franchise record of 11 consecutive wins while playing in 10 of those games.[5] As a result of his success, Forsberg made his NHL debut 1 November 2014 against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.[6]

Forsberg with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2020

In his second season in North America, Forsberg continued playing in the American Hockey League with the Lake Erie Monsters. During this season, he helped lead the team to the 2016 Calder Cup playoffs where they clinched their first Calder Cup championship in franchise history by winning all nine starts in the playoffs.[7] It was during this season that Forsberg was recalled to the National Hockey League on an emergency basis. After being recalled from the AHL, Forsberg recorded his first career NHL win and became the first goaltender to do so after entering the game post-regulation.[8] On 17 June 2016, Forsberg was signed to a one-year contract extension to remain within the Blue Jackets organization.[9]

After attending the Blue Jackets training camp,[10] Forsberg was reassigned to the American Hockey League to begin the 2016–17 season.[11] On 10 January 2017, Forsberg made his first 2016–17 season appearance for the Blue Jackets in a 5–3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.[12]

Chicago and Carolina

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On 23 June 2017, Forsberg was traded by the Blue Jackets, alongside Brandon Saad and a fifth-round pick in 2018, to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte and a sixth-round pick in 2017.[13] Three days later, on 26 June, Forsberg was signed to a two-year contract with the Blackhawks.[14] This would be his last season with the Blackhawks as on 24 June 2019, Forsberg was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes along with Gustav Forsling in exchange for Calvin de Haan and Aleksi Saarela.[15]

Forsberg left the Hurricanes at the conclusion of his contract and as a free agent agreed to sign a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Edmonton Oilers on 9 October 2020.[16] Prior to the start of the 2020–21 season, Forsberg was waived by the Oilers and subsequently claimed and reacquired by the Carolina Hurricanes on 12 January 2021.[17] Claimed to provide insurance for the waiving of former teammate, Alex Nedeljkovic, Forsberg was returned on waivers once Nedeljkovic cleared and was claimed by the Winnipeg Jets on 16 January 2021.[18]

Ottawa Senators

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After two months on the Jets roster without featuring for the club, Forsberg continued his journeyman season after he was claimed off waivers from the Jets by the Ottawa Senators on 17 March 2021.[19] Forsberg played one game for Ottawa's AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, then was recalled to Ottawa. Forsberg suited up for the first time with Ottawa on 22 March in a backup role, and started in net on 25 March.[20] On 5 May, Forsberg signed a one-year contract extension with the Senators.[21] He served as backup to Matt Murray in Ottawa's net, though was initially acquired due to a series of injuries to the goaltenders in the Senators franchise.[22]

For the 2021–22 season, Forsberg started as Murray's backup. However, Murray's poor play and injuries allowed Forsberg to became the starter, and he appeared in 46 games for the Senators.[23] On 27 December 2021, the Senators placed Forsberg in COVID-19 protocol.[24] On 21 March 2022, the Senators signed Forsberg to a three-year, $8.25 million contract extension that carries a $2.75 million per year.[25] After the acquisition of Cam Talbot during the off-season, it was planned that the two goalies would form a tandem. However, Talbot struggled with injuries.[26] Forsberg was coming off his third consecutive win when on 11 February 2023 in a game versus the Edmonton Oilers, Forsberg tore the medial collateral ligament in both knees in a collision with teammate Travis Hamonic and the Oiler's Zach Hyman.[27] He was stretchered off the ice and missed the remainder of the season.[28]

Personal life

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Forsberg is a native of Härnösand in central Sweden. He has a wife and two children.[29] Forsberg's father is a trainer and chiropractor in Sweden for a professional ice hockey team.[30]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLT/OTMINGASOGAASV%GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
2007–08AIK HärnösandDiv.1120206.00.714
2009–10Modo HockeyJ202111837313.70.8743177302.37.903
2010–11Modo HockeyJ203319429432.90.90763581702.85.921
2010–11AIK HärnösandDiv.1159505.11.857
2011–12Modo HockeyJ201411308473122.19.9234132481403.39.891
2011–12Modo HockeySEL154506093203.15.898
2012–13Södertälje SKAllsv33249019726732.04.93382503.00.901
2013–14Modo HockeySHL221111013045312.44.919
2013–14Springfield FalconsAHL4300212401.13.95720159303.03.917
2014–15Springfield FalconsAHL30208117645932.01.927
2014–15Columbus Blue JacketsNHL50402562004.69.866
2015–16Lake Erie MonstersAHL412310523029222.40.91410905841321.34.949
2015–16Columbus Blue JacketsNHL4130178903.03.907
2016–17Cleveland MonstersAHL5127176297711342.28.926
2016–17Columbus Blue JacketsNHL101059404.10.852
2017–18Chicago BlackhawksNHL351016417158502.97.908
2018–19Rockford IceHogsAHL321515219068402.64.919
2019–20Charlotte CheckersAHL27159215687702.95.905
2019–20Carolina HurricanesNHL3110144803.35.897
2020–21Belleville SenatorsAHL110060101.00.971
2020–21Ottawa SenatorsNHL83414492403.21.909
2021–22Ottawa SenatorsNHL4622174257212112.82.917
2022–23Ottawa SenatorsNHL281111214728023.26.902
2023–24Ottawa SenatorsNHL301512015708423.21.890
SHL totals37151601,9138512.67.913
NHL totals1606369118,41243553.10.905
Medal record
Representing Sweden
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
2012 Calgary

International

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YearTeamEventResultGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
2012SwedenWJC 210060100.99.933
Junior totals210060100.99.933

Awards and honors

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AwardsYear
AHL
Calder Cup champion2016[31]

References

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  1. ^ "2011 NHL Entry Draft selections". nhl.com. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Blue Jackets sign goaltender Anton Forsberg to a three year, entry-level contract". NHL.com. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Goaltender Anton Forsberg Reassigned to Springfield Falcons". oursportscentral.com. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Springfield Falcons win sixth straight road game, top Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3-1". MassLive.com. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Forsberg backstopping Falcons to new heights". theahl.com. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  6. ^ O'Brien, James (1 November 2014). "Goalie nods: Anton Forsberg debuts for battered Blue Jackets". NBC Sports ProHockeyTalk. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  7. ^ "Monsters bring Calder Cup back to Cleveland". American Hockey League. 11 June 2016. Archived from the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  8. ^ Shilton, Kristen (3 January 2016). "Blue Jackets goalie Anton Forsberg makes history in first win". USA Today. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  9. ^ "Blue Jackets sign Anton Forsberg to one-year contract extension". Columbus Blue Jackets. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  10. ^ "2016-17 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS TRAINING CAMP ROSTER - ALPHABETICAL" (PDF). nhl.com. 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Blue Jackets camp roster moves: Oct. 6". nhl.com. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  12. ^ McCreary, Joedy (10 January 2017). "Staal's goal lifts Hurricanes past Blue Jackets 5-3". Centre Daily Times. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  13. ^ "Blackhawks acquire Saad, Forsberg from Columbus for Panarin, Motte". Chicago Blackhawks. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Blackhawks agree terms with Forsberg and Jurco". Chicago Blackhawks. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Blackhawks acquire De Haan, Saarela". The Sports Network. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  16. ^ "Oilers sign Forsberg, Quine, Griffith". Edmonton Oilers. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Canes acquire Anton Forsberg on waivers". Carolina Hurricanes. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Jets claim Anton Forsberg off waivers". Winnipeg Jets. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Canucks claim Vesey from Maple Leafs, Senators nab Forsberg from Jets". TSN. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Game Summary". NHL.com. 22 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Senators sign goaltender Anton Forsberg to a one-year contract extension". Ottawa Senators. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021 – via NHL.com.
  22. ^ "Ottawa Senators acquire goaltender Anton Forsberg off waivers". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  23. ^ "Senators willing to carry three goaltenders to start next season". Sportsnet. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  24. ^ "Senators add goaltender Anton Forsberg to NHL's COVID-19 protocol list". Sportsnet. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  25. ^ Stephens, Mike (21 March 2022). "Senators Sign Forsberg to Three-Year Extension". The Hockey News. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  26. ^ Scanlan, Wayne (29 March 2023). "Amid goalie-injury wreckage, Senators' Sogaard, Talbot making final playoff push". Sportsnet. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  27. ^ Brehm, Mike (11 February 2003). "Senators' Anton Forsberg stretchered off ice with injury after Oilers' Zach Hyman lands on him". USA Today. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  28. ^ Warne, Steve (19 April 2023). "After Tearing MCL in Both Knees, Can Anton Forsberg Return to Form This Fall?". The Hockey News. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  29. ^ Mendes, Ian (25 April 2022). "Anton Forsberg on Masterton nomination: "There's been a lot of times I've called home and kind of said, 'I'm done.'"". The Athletic. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  30. ^ Skrbina, Paul (28 February 2018). "Blackhawks backup goalie Anton Forsberg just trying to move forward". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  31. ^ Brown, Tony (12 June 2016). "Bjorkstrand's OT goal clinches Monsters' first-ever Calder Cup championship". Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
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