Carl Gunnarsson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carl Gunnarsson |
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Gunnarsson with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012
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| Born | 9 November 1986 Örebro, Sweden |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 189 lb (86 kg; 13 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Linköpings HC Toronto Maple Leafs St. Louis Blues |
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| National team |  Sweden |
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| NHL Draft | 194th overall, 2007 Toronto Maple Leafs |
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| Playing career | 2005–2021 | ||
Carl Gunnarsson (born November 9, 1986) is a former professional ice hockey defenceman from Sweden. He is best known for playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the St. Louis Blues. A major highlight of his career was winning the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019.
Gunnarsson grew up in Sweden and started his career there. He was chosen by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2007 NHL entry draft. After playing for Linköpings HC in Sweden's top league, he moved to North America to join the Leafs for the 2009–10 season.
After five seasons in Toronto, Gunnarsson was traded to the St. Louis Blues. With the Blues, he achieved the ultimate goal for any hockey player: winning the Stanley Cup. He also represented his home country, Sweden, in several international tournaments, winning three medals.
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Hockey Career
Starting in Sweden
Carl Gunnarsson was born in Örebro, Sweden. He began playing hockey for local junior teams, including Örebro HK and Linköpings HC. He was a talented young player and started playing professionally in Sweden's hockey leagues.
He played for Linköpings HC in the Swedish Elite League, which is the top hockey league in Sweden. During his time there, he helped his team win two silver medals in the league championships. His strong play caught the attention of NHL teams.
Toronto Maple Leafs
In the 2007 NHL entry draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Gunnarsson. He decided to play in Sweden for two more years before moving to North America. In 2009, he signed a contract with the Maple Leafs and came to Canada.
He first played for the Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leafs' minor league team. But he was quickly called up to the NHL. He made his debut on November 14, 2009, against the Calgary Flames. He played so well that his coach said he looked like the team's best defenceman that night. Gunnarsson scored his first NHL goal against the famous goalie Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.
Gunnarsson became an important player for the Leafs. He was known for being a reliable defenceman. During the 2011–12 season, he played more minutes than almost any other player on the team, except for the captain, Dion Phaneuf.
His time with the Leafs ended in 2014. On June 28, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
St. Louis Blues
Gunnarsson joined the Blues for the 2014–15 season. He continued to be a solid defenceman, often playing with top players like Kevin Shattenkirk. Over the next few seasons, he dealt with some injuries but remained a key part of the team's defense.
In 2016, he signed a new three-year contract to stay with the Blues. He helped the team make the playoffs several times.
Winning the Stanley Cup
The 2018–19 season was magical for Gunnarsson and the Blues. In January 2019, the team was in last place in the entire NHL. But they made an incredible comeback and qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins.
In Game 2 of the Finals, the score was tied, and the game went into overtime. During the break, Gunnarsson told his coach, Craig Berube, that he just needed "one more shot" to score. The coach trusted him, and Gunnarsson scored the game-winning goal! It was the first time the Blues had ever won a game in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Blues went on to win the series in seven games. They won their first-ever Stanley Cup, and Gunnarsson became a champion.
Final Seasons
Gunnarsson signed a new two-year contract to stay with the Blues after their championship win. He continued to play for the team until he suffered a serious knee injury in February 2021. This injury ended his season. On June 23, 2021, Carl Gunnarsson announced his retirement from professional hockey.
International Play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Sweden |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 2011 Slovakia | |
| Bronze | 2010 Germany | |
| Bronze | 2009 Switzerland | |
Gunnarsson proudly represented his country, Sweden, in international tournaments. He played for the junior team at the 2004 IIHF World Under-18 Championships.
He later played for the senior national team at three World Championships.
- In 2009, he scored the winning goal in the bronze medal game against the United States.
- In 2010, he won another bronze medal.
- In 2011, he helped Sweden win a silver medal.
Personal Life
Gunnarsson and his wife, Josefin, have a son and a daughter.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | HC Örebro 90 | SWE.2 U20 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | HC Örebro 90 | Allsv | 43 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Linköpings HC | J18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Linköpings HC | J20 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Linköpings HC | J20 | 30 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | Linköpings HC | SEL | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Arboga IFK | Allsv | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Linköpings HC | J20 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Linköpings HC | SEL | 30 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | VIK Västerås HK | Allsv | 15 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Linköpings HC | SEL | 53 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | ||
| 2008–09 | Linköpings HC | SEL | 53 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 43 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 68 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 76 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Örebro HK | Allsv | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 37 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 80 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 61 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 72 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 2016–17 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 56 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 63 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 25 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 36 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2020–21 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SHL totals | 150 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 60 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | ||||
| NHL totals | 629 | 30 | 108 | 138 | 179 | 68 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 19 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Sweden | WJC18 | 5th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | |
| 2009 | Sweden | WC |  |
6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2010 | Sweden | WC | |
9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2011 | Sweden | WC |  |
9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | ||||
| Senior totals | 24 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | ||||
Awards and Honors
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup champion | 2019 | |
