Johan Hedberg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johan Hedberg
Born	(1973-05-05) 5 May 1973 (age 52) Nacka, Sweden
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Pittsburgh Penguins Vancouver Canucks Leksands IF Dallas Stars Atlanta Thrashers New Jersey Devils
NHL Draft	218th overall, 1994 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	1993–2014
Medal record Men's Ice hockey Representing  Sweden World Championships Gold 1998 Switzerland Silver 1997 Finland Bronze 1999 Norway Bronze 1994 Italy

Johan "Moose" Hedberg (born 5 May 1973) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played from 1993 to 2014. Johan played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). These teams included the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers, and New Jersey Devils. He also played for Leksands IF in Sweden.

Hedberg moved to North America in 1997. He made his NHL debut in the year 2000. He also played for the Swedish national team. He competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics and several World Championships. He won a gold medal at the 1998 World Championship.

Playing Career: Johan Hedberg's Hockey Journey

Drafted by the Flyers

Johan Hedberg was chosen in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. The Philadelphia Flyers picked him in the ninth round. This was the 218th overall pick. However, the Flyers never invited him to their training camp. They told him he needed to join the Swedish national team first.

Hedberg played for Leksands IF in Sweden for five seasons. This was from 1992 to 1997. He did make the Swedish national team. But he still did not get an invitation from the Flyers. So, in 1997, he left Sweden. He hoped to play in the North American minor leagues. He wanted a team to notice his skills.

He started with the Baton Rouge Kingfish. This team was in the East Coast Hockey League. He also played for the Detroit Vipers and Manitoba Moose. These teams were in the International Hockey League. In 1998, the Flyers traded his rights to the San Jose Sharks. He went back to Leksands for one season. Then, in 1999, he joined the Kentucky Thoroughblades. This team was part of the American Hockey League.

Manitoba Moose and the Nickname

The Sharks already had many good, young goalies. Johan was not high on their list. So, after one season, he left the Sharks organization. He rejoined the Manitoba Moose in 2000. He played very well during this time. The Moose were not linked to an NHL team then.

His great play caught the eye of Eddie Johnston. He was the assistant general manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In March 2001, Hedberg was traded to Pittsburgh. He went with Bobby Dollas for Jeff Norton. His coach, Randy Carlyle, told him he would go straight to the Penguins.

Hedberg helped the Penguins' goaltending right away. He started a game in Pittsburgh wearing his old Moose helmet. It had a big moose painted on it. The Pittsburgh fans loved it. They started calling him "Moose." When he made a great save, they would cheer "Mooooose!"

Pittsburgh Penguins and the Olympics

Johan helped the Penguins reach the Eastern Conference final in 2001. He played better than top goalies like Olaf Kölzig and Dominik Hašek. In 2002, Hedberg had a great year. He won 25 games for the Penguins. He also played a club-record 66 games.

He was then chosen for the Swedish national team. He was the backup goalie to Tommy Salo. He played in the 2002 Winter Olympics. Hedberg started one game for Sweden. He helped his team win against Germany.

Vancouver, the Lockout, and Dallas

The Penguins later traded Hedberg to the Vancouver Canucks. This happened in exchange for a second-round draft pick. The Penguins used this pick to choose Alex Goligoski. In the 2003–04 season, Hedberg played 21 games for Vancouver. He had his best goals-against average (GAA) of 2.51.

The NHL lockout meant no NHL games in 2004–05. So, Hedberg played for Leksands IF again. This team was in the Swedish Second Division. He played 21 games there.

When the lockout ended, Hedberg joined the Dallas Stars. He signed as a free agent in August 2005. He had a good record of 12 wins, 4 losses, and 1 overtime loss. On December 26, 2005, Hedberg made history. He got two assists in a game against the St. Louis Blues. This was the first time a Dallas Stars goalie had ever done this.

Atlanta Thrashers

With the Thrashers in 2010.

In July 2006, Hedberg signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Thrashers. He was the backup goalie for Kari Lehtonen. But Lehtonen got a long-term injury in 2007–08. So, Hedberg became the Thrashers' main goalie for much of that season.

In June 2008, Hedberg signed a new contract with the Thrashers. During the 2009–10 season, he shared playing time. He and Ondrej Pavelec were the main starters. This was after Lehtonen missed most of the season. Even with Hedberg's good play, he left the Thrashers after that season.

In May 2011, the Thrashers team moved to Winnipeg. They became the Winnipeg Jets. Hedberg felt sad about the team moving. He felt bad for the Thrashers fans. He said Atlanta could support a team. He believed the team's owners had caused problems. He said Atlanta was like a second home for his family. He knew many fans who did not want to lose the team.

Hedberg's family still lives in Atlanta. This includes his wife and three daughters.

New Jersey Devils

On July 1, 2010, Hedberg signed a one-year deal. He joined the New Jersey Devils. He was a backup goalie. But then the main goalie, Martin Brodeur, got injured. Hedberg's contract was renewed in July 2011.

During the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he played in game three. This was against the Florida Panthers. He played for two periods. On July 2, 2012, Hedberg signed a new two-year deal with the Devils. This happened hours after Brodeur also extended his contract.

On July 4, 2013, the Devils released Hedberg from his contract. This was because they traded for another goalie. They brought Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider to New Jersey.

New York Rangers

Hedberg signed a tryout contract with the New York Rangers. This was on September 10, 2013. He was there because their backup goalie was out. On September 18, 2013, he was released. This happened after the backup goalie returned.

Hedberg played his last professional game in the 2013–14 season. He played for the Albany Devils. This team was in the American Hockey League. He filled in for an injured goalie.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing hockey, Hedberg became a coach. He rejoined the Devils team. He worked as a special scout. He also coached the goalies for the Albany Devils. On July 2, 2015, he joined the San Jose Sharks. He became their goaltending coach. He stayed in this role until December 2019.