Gustav Nyquist facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gustav Nyquist
Nyquist with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013
Born	(1989-09-01) 1 September 1989 (age 35) Halmstad, Sweden
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Forward
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Winnipeg Jets Detroit Red Wings San Jose Sharks Columbus Blue Jackets Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators
National team	Sweden
NHL Draft	121st overall, 2008 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	2011–present

Gustav Nyquist (born 1 September 1989) is a professional ice hockey player from Sweden. He plays as a forward for the Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Detroit Red Wings chose Nyquist as the 121st player in the 2008 NHL entry draft. He played for the Red Wings for many years. He has also played for the San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and Nashville Predators.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Gustav Nyquist was born in Halmstad, a city in southern Sweden. His family later moved to Malmö. There, Gustav started playing ice hockey with a local youth team called Limhamn Hockey. He then joined the Malmö Redhawks team, playing for their younger groups.

After finishing high school with excellent grades, he moved to Orono, Maine, in the U.S. He went to the University of Maine to continue his studies and play hockey. He played for the university's team, the Black Bears.

Playing Career Highlights

Amateur Hockey Journey

Nyquist playing for the University of Maine Black Bears in January 2011

Nyquist played for the Malmö Redhawks' youth teams in Sweden. He also represented his region, Scania, in a tournament called TV-pucken in 2006. His team finished in second place.

He played three seasons for the University of Maine's Black Bears. This team is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Gustav was the top scorer for his team in all three seasons. In the 2009–10 season, he was the top scorer in the entire NCAA regular season. In 2010, he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. This award goes to the best college hockey player.

After his junior year, Nyquist left college. He signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on March 25, 2011. This was the team that had drafted him in 2008.

Professional Hockey Debut

Starting with the Red Wings

Nyquist playing with the Detroit Red Wings in April 2014

Gustav Nyquist started his professional hockey career with the Grand Rapids Griffins. This team is connected to the Red Wings in the American Hockey League (AHL). His first game was on March 25, 2011. In his second game, he scored his first AHL goal.

He made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings on November 1, 2011. On March 26, 2012, he scored his first NHL goal. Nyquist also played in his first Stanley Cup playoffs game on April 13. He joined the team after another player was injured.

During the 2012–13 season, which was shorter due to a lockout, Nyquist scored three goals and had three assists for the Red Wings. In the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored an overtime goal against the Anaheim Ducks. This goal helped his team tie the series. He also scored the first goal in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Nyquist was also a top scorer for the Grand Rapids Griffins that season. He had 23 goals and 37 assists. After the Red Wings were out of the playoffs, Nyquist rejoined the Griffins. He helped them win the Calder Cup championship. The Detroit Sports Broadcasters' Association named him the Red Wings' rookie of the year.

Continued Success with Detroit

On August 20, 2013, the Red Wings signed Nyquist to a new two-year contract. On February 2, 2014, he scored his first career hat-trick. A hat-trick means scoring three goals in one game. On March 24, he was named the NHL's first star of the week. He led all players with six goals and seven points in four games. He was also named the NHL's second star of the month for March. He scored 12 goals that month.

Nyquist finished the 2013–14 season as the Red Wings' leading scorer with 28 goals. He also had 20 assists. He was the youngest player to lead the Red Wings in game-winning goals since 1994.

On October 15, 2014, Nyquist played in his 100th NHL game. He was the first Red Wing since 1994 to score 35 or more goals in his first 100 NHL games.

After the 2014–15 season, Nyquist signed a new four-year contract with the Red Wings for $19 million. On February 15, 2017, he was suspended for six games due to an on-ice incident during a game against the Minnesota Wild.

Moving to Other Teams

On February 24, 2019, Nyquist was traded to the San Jose Sharks. He played 19 regular season games with the Sharks, scoring six goals and five assists. He also helped them in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, where they reached the Western Conference finals.

On July 1, 2019, Nyquist signed a four-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He finished his first season with the Blue Jackets with 42 points in 70 games. On November 4, 2020, it was announced that Nyquist had shoulder surgery. He missed the entire 2020–21 season because of this injury. In his final season with the Blue Jackets, 2022–23, he had 22 points in 48 games before getting injured again.

Nyquist (left) with Jamie Oleksiak of the Seattle Kraken in 2023.

On February 28, 2023, Nyquist was traded to the Minnesota Wild. He was still recovering from his injury at the time. He returned to play near the end of the season and had five points in three games. He also had five assists in six playoff games.

As a free agent, Nyquist signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1, 2023. On March 1, 2025, the Predators traded Nyquist back to the Wild.

On July 2, 2025, Nyquist signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets.

International Play for Sweden

Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Men's ice hockey
Winter Olympics
Silver	2014 Sochi
World Championships
Gold	2018 Denmark
Bronze	2014 Belarus

Nyquist has played for Sweden in several international tournaments. He was chosen to play in the 2014 Winter Olympics. There, he helped Sweden win a silver medal. He also won a bronze medal at the 2014 IIHF World Championship.

At the 2016 IIHF World Championship, Nyquist was Sweden's top scorer. He had seven goals and one assist. His seven goals tied him for the most goals in the tournament. In the 2018 IIHF World Championship, he helped Sweden win a gold medal.

Personal Life

Gustav Nyquist has a brother named Oscar Nyquist. Oscar has also played junior ice hockey.

A famous racehorse, Nyquist, was named after Gustav Nyquist. This horse won the 2016 Kentucky Derby. The horse's owner, J. Paul Reddam, was a big fan of the Detroit Red Wings.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014	Sweden	OG			6	0	0	0	0
2014	Sweden	WC			10	4	2	6	2
2016	Sweden	WC	6th		8	7	1	8	4
2018	Sweden	WC			9	4	1	5	8
Senior totals					33	15	4	19	14

Awards and Achievements