# Top 33 Swedish Players in NHL History

> Norris Trophy defensemen, Art Ross scorers and a few Stanley Cup grinders who did the dirty work in front of the net. Sweden has sent the NHL more than stars, and this list keeps both kinds.

*By YPB Team · Published November 7, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/top-33-swedish-players-in-nhl-history*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Peter Forsberg** — score 1000/1000
   Colorado Avalanche center who won the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001 and took the Hart and Art Ross Trophies in 2003.
2. **Daniel Alfredsson** — score 675/1000
   Ottawa Senators winger and longtime captain who won the 1996 Calder Trophy and led Ottawa to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final.
3. **Henrik Lundqvist** — score 619/1000
   New York Rangers goaltender from 2005 to 2020 who won the 2012 Vezina Trophy and finished with 459 NHL wins.
4. **Nicklas Lidström** — score 619/1000
   Detroit Red Wings defenseman from 1991 to 2012 who won four Stanley Cups, seven Norris Trophies and the 2002 Conn Smythe Trophy.
5. **Anders Hedberg** — score 598/1000
   Winger who starred in the WHA with Winnipeg before joining the New York Rangers in 1978 and reaching the 1979 Stanley Cup Final.
6. **Oliver Ekman-Larsson** — score 501/1000
   Defenseman who captained the Arizona Coyotes and won the 2024 Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers.
7. **Mats Sundin** — score 501/1000
   First overall pick of the 1989 draft who captained the Toronto Maple Leafs and retired as their all-time leader in goals and points.
8. **Mats Näslund** — score 501/1000
   Montreal Canadiens winger who won the 1986 Stanley Cup and scored 110 points in the 1985–86 season.
9. **Henrik Sedin** — score 442/1000
   Vancouver Canucks center who won the Hart Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy in 2010.
10. **Patric Hörnqvist** — score 442/1000
   Winger who won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017, scoring the 2017 Cup-winning goal.
11. **Nicklas Bäckström** — score 442/1000
   Washington Capitals center who won the 2018 Stanley Cup and is the franchise's all-time assists leader.
12. **Gabriel Landeskog** — score 442/1000
   Colorado Avalanche captain who won the 2012 Calder Trophy and the 2022 Stanley Cup.
13. **Mika Zibanejad** — score 442/1000
   New York Rangers center who scored five goals in a single game against Washington in March 2020.
14. **Gustav Forsling** — score 442/1000
   Florida Panthers defenseman who won the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025.
15. **Rasmus Dahlin** — score 442/1000
   Defenseman taken first overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2018 who later became the team's captain.
16. **Kent Nilsson** — score 442/1000
   Calgary Flames forward who scored 131 points in 1980–81 and later won the 1987 Stanley Cup with Edmonton.
17. **Henrik Zetterberg** — score 374/1000
   Detroit Red Wings forward and captain who won the 2008 Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy.
18. **Johan Franzén** — score 374/1000
   Detroit Red Wings forward who scored 13 goals in the 2008 playoffs on the way to the Stanley Cup.
19. **Pelle Lindbergh** — score 374/1000
   Philadelphia Flyers goaltender who in 1985 became the first European to win the Vezina Trophy.
20. **Tomas Sandström** — score 374/1000
   Winger who played for the Rangers, Kings and Penguins and won the 1997 Stanley Cup with Detroit.
21. **Börje Salming** — score 295/1000
   Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman from 1973 to 1989 who became the first Swedish player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.
22. **Erik Karlsson** — score 295/1000
   Offensive defenseman who won the Norris Trophy in 2012 and 2015 with Ottawa and in 2023 with San Jose.
23. **Victor Hedman** — score 295/1000
   Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman who won the 2018 Norris Trophy, the 2020 Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021.
24. **Thomas Steen** — score 295/1000
   Winnipeg Jets forward from 1981 to 1995 whose No. 25 was retired by the franchise.
25. **Ulf Samuelsson** — score 295/1000
   Physical defenseman who won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992.
26. **Calle Johansson** — score 295/1000
   Defenseman who spent 15 seasons with the Washington Capitals and reached the 1998 Stanley Cup Final.
27. **Niklas Kronwall** — score 295/1000
   Detroit Red Wings defenseman known for open-ice hits who won the 2008 Stanley Cup.
28. **William Nylander** — score 295/1000
   Toronto Maple Leafs winger who scored 40 goals in 2023–24 and 45 in 2024–25.
29. **Håkan Loob** — score 295/1000
   Calgary Flames winger who became the first Swede to score 50 goals in an NHL season in 1987–88 and won the 1989 Stanley Cup.
30. **Daniel Sedin** — score 201/1000
   Vancouver Canucks winger who won the 2011 Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award and retired as the franchise's all-time goals leader.
31. **Markus Näslund** — score 201/1000
   Vancouver Canucks captain and left winger who won the Lester B. Pearson Award in 2003.
32. **Tomas Holmström** — score 201/1000
   Detroit Red Wings net-front forward who won four Stanley Cups between 1997 and 2008.
33. **Filip Forsberg** — score 201/1000
   Nashville Predators winger who became the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer.

Tags: sports, hockey, players, nhl, sweden