Oskar Sundqvist facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oskar Sundqvist
Sundqvist with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs
Born	(1994-03-23) 23 March 1994 (age 31) Boden, Sweden
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	St. Louis Blues Skellefteå AIK Pittsburgh Penguins Detroit Red Wings Minnesota Wild
NHL Draft	81st overall, 2012 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	2012–present

Oskar Sundqvist (born March 23, 1994) is a professional ice hockey player from Sweden. He plays as a centre for the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Sundqvist grew up playing hockey in Sweden for the Skellefteå team. He was chosen by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft. With the Swedish junior national team, he won a silver medal at the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

After moving to North America, Sundqvist played for the Penguins and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2016. In 2017, he joined the St. Louis Blues. He helped the Blues win their first Stanley Cup in team history in 2019.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting in Sweden

Oskar Sundqvist was born in Boden, Sweden, on March 23, 1994. He played for the Skellefteå hockey club's youth teams. He chose Skellefteå because another school in Luleå was not very interested in him.

Sundqvist scored 22 goals and 54 points in 41 games for Skellefteå's junior team. After this, the Pittsburgh Penguins picked him in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 81st player chosen overall. The Penguins were unsure about him at first because of his size and where he played. But their European scout, Tommy Westlund, encouraged them.

After being drafted, Sundqvist went to the Penguins' training camp for young players. He then went back to Sweden. He played his first game in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for Skellefteå on October 24, 2012. He scored his first SHL goal on January 5, 2013. In his first season, he got one point in 14 games.

Junior World Championships

In the summer before the 2013–14 season, Sundqvist attended another Penguins training camp. The team's coach, Mike Johnston, said Sundqvist was a "very good prospect." He added that Sundqvist was big, responsible, and good at playing both offense and defense.

Sundqvist was chosen to play for the Sweden men's national junior ice hockey team at the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He scored the winning goal against Russia in the third period. This helped Sweden reach the gold medal game against Finland. Sweden won a silver medal in the tournament.

After returning to Skellefteå, he helped his team win the Swedish Championship in 2014. He had six points in 13 playoff games that season.

Moving to North America

After the SHL season ended, the Penguins signed Sundqvist to a three-year contract. He went to the Penguins' training camp. On October 7, 2014, he was sent back to Skellefteå AIK for the 2014–15 season.

In his last season in Sweden, Sundqvist had his best year with nine goals and 19 points. However, he often had injuries. In December, a puck hit his wrist, and he had to leave a game. A few months later, he was hit in the face during a game. He missed time to recover from this injury.

On April 27, 2015, Sundqvist started his professional career in North America. He joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, which is the Penguins' minor league team in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played one game with them during their playoff run.

Sundqvist with the Pittsburgh Penguins at Joe Louis Arena in 2015.

During the summer, Sundqvist stayed in North America to train. He felt a big difference compared to previous years. He was trying to earn a spot on the Penguins' main team for the 2015–16 season. He had a hamstring injury, but he was healthy enough for training camp.

After training camp, Sundqvist was sent to the AHL team. He was called up to the NHL team just before the season started. This was to help with player salaries. He then returned to the AHL. Sundqvist made his NHL debut on February 4, 2016, against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored his first NHL goal on April 2, 2016, against the New York Islanders.

Sundqvist played in 18 regular season games and two playoff games for the Penguins. The Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2016. Sundqvist did not play in the finals or enough regular season games to have his name on the Cup. However, the team gave him a Stanley Cup ring and a day to spend with the Cup.

Strong AHL Season

Before the 2016–17 season, Sundqvist was sent back to the AHL. This was his best season in the AHL. He set new personal records for goals and points. He scored four goals in one game against the Hershey Bears on December 10, 2016. He was the third player in his team's history to do this.

He spent most of the season in the AHL. He was called up to the NHL on March 10 after playing 53 games. He traveled a long way to join the Penguins for their game in Edmonton. He did not score in that game. But he helped with a game-winning goal the next night against the Vancouver Canucks.

When he returned to the AHL, his scoring helped his team reach 100 points. Sundqvist had three points in that game. He was one of three Penguins players to score more than 20 goals that season. He finished his AHL season with 20 goals and 46 points.

Joining the St. Louis Blues

During the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Sundqvist was traded to the St. Louis Blues. The Penguins traded him and a first-round draft pick. In return, the Blues sent Ryan Reaves and a second-round pick to the Penguins.

Sundqvist signed a one-year contract with the Blues. He made their opening night roster for the 2017–18 season. He played 30 games before being sent to the San Antonio Rampage, their AHL team. He spent most of the season with the Blues, playing 42 games in total. He scored five points and played on the penalty kill team.

Sundqvist during the 2019 Stanley Cup parade

After his best season, Sundqvist signed another one-year contract with the Blues. During the 2018 pre-season, he suffered a head injury. He was placed on the team's injured list to recover. He returned to play on October 25, after missing eight games.

When he came back, he quickly made an impact. He matched his career goal total in one game and then scored even more. By January 2, 2019, the Blues were in last place in the league. This led to changes in coaching and goaltenders.

Sundqvist had a career-high 31 points in 71 games. He helped the Blues make it to the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. During the playoffs, coach Craig Berube praised Sundqvist. He called him a "good player and penalty killer." He said Sundqvist did many good things for the team. Before the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins, Sundqvist had nine points in 21 playoff games.

In the Finals, Sundqvist played on the Blues' fourth line. After losing Game 1, Sundqvist was suspended for one game. This was because of a hit he made to an opponent's head. When he returned from his suspension, Sundqvist helped the Blues win their first Stanley Cup ever.

On July 21, 2019, Sundqvist signed a four-year contract extension with the Blues. During the 2019–20 season, which was shortened, Sundqvist played less due to injuries. He had a lower body injury in November. He returned in December, scoring a goal and an assist. In late January, he had another lower body injury. He recovered and returned in February 2020. He also suffered a shoulder injury in the last regular season game. He used the NHL's pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic to recover.

On March 19, 2021, Sundqvist left a game with a lower-body injury. The next day, it was announced he had torn a ligament in his left knee. This meant he would miss the rest of the 2020–21 season. During the 2021–22 season, he scored four goals and 11 assists in 41 games for the Blues.

Playing for Other Teams

On March 21, 2022, Sundqvist was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. He was traded with Jake Walman and a draft pick. In return, the Blues received Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski.

On March 3, 2023, the Red Wings traded Sundqvist to the Minnesota Wild. The Wild sent a fourth-round draft pick to the Red Wings.

Return to St. Louis

As a free agent, Sundqvist signed a one-year contract to return to the St. Louis Blues for the 2023–24 season on July 12, 2023. On March 7, 2024, he signed a two-year contract extension with the Blues. During the season, Sundqvist scored six goals and 15 assists in 71 games. He then suffered another season-ending knee injury on March 25.

Personal Life

Oskar Sundqvist is a cousin of Jessica Almenäs. She is a television presenter and reporter in Sweden. She represented Sweden in the Miss World competition in 1998.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014	Sweden	WJC			7	2	0	2	4
Junior totals					7	2	0	2	4

Awards and Honours