Elias Pettersson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elias Pettersson
Pettersson in 2019
Born	(1998-11-12) 12 November 1998 (age 26) Sundsvall, Sweden
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Vancouver Canucks Växjö Lakers
National team	Sweden
NHL Draft	5th overall, 2017 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	2015–present

Elias Pettersson (born on November 12, 1998) is a professional ice hockey player from Sweden. He plays as a forward and is an alternate captain for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canucks chose Pettersson as the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Elias was born in Sundsvall, Sweden, but he grew up in a town called Ånge. He had an amazing season in the SHL in 2017–18. He also helped his team, the Växjö Lakers, win the Le Mat Trophy. After that, Pettersson joined the Canucks for the 2018–19 season. In 2019, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie in the league. He was only the second Canucks player to win this award, after Pavel Bure in 1992.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Elias Pettersson was born in Sundsvall, Sweden. His parents are Irene Jonsson and Torbjörn Pettersson. Elias has an older brother named Emil. Elias started playing hockey when he was just three years old. He and Emil played for their local youth team, Ånge IK.

Ånge did not have many hockey teams. Elias's dad was a Zamboni driver at the local rink. This meant Elias had lots of chances to practice on the ice. He also played soccer, but he stopped at age 13 to focus only on hockey.

In 2011, when Elias was 13, his friends Valerik and Davit Danielyan had to leave Sweden. Elias and his friends spoke to a local newspaper and TV station to support the Danielyan family. His friends were allowed to return to Sweden in 2012. Elias talked about this experience in later interviews.

In 2013–2014, Elias started playing for Timrå IK's U15 team. This team was in a nearby town because Ånge did not have a junior team. For his first two seasons with Timrå, Elias lived in Ånge. He traveled about 100 kilometers (62 miles) to practice several times a week. Later, he moved closer to Timrå.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with Timrå IK (2015–2017)

Elias Pettersson began his professional hockey career in the 2015–16 season. He played for Timrå IK in HockeyAllsvenskan, which is Sweden's second-highest league. His first game was delayed because of a knee injury.

It was a bit unusual for a top player like Elias to join Timrå. Most elite players would go to a team in the top Swedish Hockey League (SHL). In his second season, Elias was the second-highest scorer on his team. He had 41 points in 43 games. Even though he played well, Timrå IK could not move up to the top league. So, on April 6, 2017, Elias signed a three-year contract with the Växjö Lakers. This team plays in the SHL, the top league in Sweden.

Joining the NHL: The 2017 Draft

Pettersson being chosen by the Canucks at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

When Elias Pettersson was first eligible for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, he was ranked as the second-best European skater. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau made this ranking. On June 23, 2017, the Vancouver Canucks chose him as the fifth overall pick. He was the first Swedish player picked in that draft.

The Canucks might have chosen Elias because he played very well with Jonathan Dahlén on Timrå IK. They were a great team together. They even scored on their very first shift playing together in Sweden!

Dominating in Sweden (2017–2018)

Even though he was still a junior player, Elias Pettersson was amazing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) during his first season (2017–18). He led the entire league in points scored and in +/−. He had 56 points and a +27 rating in 44 games. He also scored 24 goals, which was the second-highest in the league.

In the last game of the 2017–18 regular season, Elias set a new record. He got 56 points, which is the most points ever by a junior player in a single SHL season. The old record was set by Kent Nilsson in 1975–76.

Elias continued to shine in the playoffs. He led in goals, points, and +/−. He scored 10 goals and had 19 points in 13 games. He also scored four game-winning goals. He helped the Växjö Lakers win their second Le Mat Trophy. In total, for the regular season and playoffs, Elias scored 34 goals and 41 assists, adding up to 75 points in 57 games.

In April 2018, Elias won the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy. This award is for the SHL playoffs' most valuable player (MVP). All 14 judges voted for Elias, which was a first for this award. At the SHL Awards, Elias was named Rookie of the Year and Forward of the Year. While playing in Sweden, he earned the nickname "Alien," which also became popular in Vancouver.

Joining the Vancouver Canucks (2018–Present)

On May 25, 2018, the Canucks signed Elias Pettersson to a three-year contract. He made his NHL debut on October 3, 2018, against the Calgary Flames. Elias scored his first NHL goal against goalie Mike Smith. He also got an assist, helping the Canucks win 5–2.

On October 13, 2018, Elias got a head injury during a game against the Florida Panthers. The player who caused the injury, Mike Matheson, was suspended for two games. Elias returned to play on October 27.

He quickly became a star. In November, he was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October. He also earned the Second Star of the Week award. In December, he was named First Star of the Week and again Rookie of the Month. On December 2, 2019, Elias won the hardest shot competition at the Canucks Skills Competition. His slap shot was 99.4 miles per hour!

On January 2, 2019, Elias was chosen for his first NHL All-Star Game. Later that night, he scored his first NHL hat trick in a 4–3 win. He got another knee injury the next night but was able to skate off the ice. When he returned on January 21, he scored a goal and an assist.

On March 18, Elias got an assist that gave him 61 points. This broke the Canucks' record for most points by a rookie, which was held by Pavel Bure and Ivan Hlinka. In his first season, Elias had 28 goals and 38 assists, for a total of 66 points in 71 games. After the season, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie.

In the 2019–20 season, Elias played very well with Brock Boeser and J. T. Miller. On November 4, 2019, he was named First Star of the Week. He was chosen for his second NHL All-Star Game on December 30, 2019. At the Hardest Shot Competition, he had a 102.4 mph slap shot. This was the second-highest ever by a forward in the competition.

The 2019-20 season was stopped early due to a global event. When it started again in August 2020, Elias scored 7 goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 17 playoff games. The Canucks won their first playoff series since 2011. They made it to Game 7 of the second round before losing. Elias's 18 points were tied for the team lead in the playoffs.

The 2020–21 season started slowly for Elias. However, he soon found his rhythm, getting 19 points in his next 18 games. Unfortunately, he got a serious upper-body injury on March 2. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season.

On October 1, 2021, Elias signed a new three-year contract with the Canucks. On December 22, he had his fourth five-point game in the NHL. This set a new Canucks record, passing Alexander Mogilny. Elias finished the 2021–22 season with a career-high 32 goals and 68 points in 80 games.

In the 2022–23 season, Elias reached new career highs. He scored 39 goals, 63 assists, and 102 points in 80 games. Even with his great play, the Canucks did not make the playoffs.

On March 2, 2024, Elias signed a big eight-year contract extension with the Canucks. After the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Elias shared that he had been playing with a knee injury since January. This injury affected his play in the playoffs. He scored only one goal and 6 points in 13 playoff games. He later said the injury also stopped him from training properly in the offseason.

In the 2024–25 NHL season, Elias Pettersson scored 15 goals and 30 assists for 45 points in 64 games. Despite some challenges and a short injury break, he was still a very important player for the Canucks. His play got better towards the end of the season. He scored four goals and 10 points in eight games from March 7 to March 20. However, he suffered another injury on March 22, which ended his season.

International Play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Sweden
World Championships
Gold	2018 Denmark
World Junior Championships
Silver	2018 Buffalo

Elias Pettersson has played for Sweden in international tournaments. He won a silver medal at the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Even though he played only five games due to a broken thumb, he won a gold medal with Team Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

In May 2019, Elias was chosen to play for Sweden again at the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.

Personal Life

On August 7, 2019, Elias Pettersson was featured on the cover of the Swedish version of the video game NHL 20. During the hockey offseason, Elias lives in Stockholm. In 2023, Elias had a problem with a real estate agent in Sweden. The agent involved was later sentenced for their actions.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015	Sweden	IH18			5	0	0	0	0
2016	Sweden	U18			7	1	7	8	4
2017	Sweden	WJC	4th		6	0	1	1	0
2018	Sweden	WJC			7	5	2	7	0
2018	Sweden	WC			5	1	2	3	0
2019	Sweden	WC	5th		8	3	7	10	2
Junior totals					25	6	10	16	4
Senior totals					13	4	9	13	2

Awards and Honours