Date joined 2012 Name Magnus Hellberg Salary 600,000 USD (2015) | Playing career Weight 84 kg Catches Left Height 1.96 m | |
 | ||
NHL team (P)Cur. teamFormer teams New York RangersHartford Wolf Pack (AHL)Almtuna ISFrolunda HCNashville Predators NHL Draft 38th overall, 2011Nashville Predators Similar People Dean Evason, Shea Weber, Barry Trotz, Peter Laviolette | ||
Magnus Hellberg in action during the Spartak@SKA hockey game
Magnus Hellberg (born 4 April 1991) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays under contract to HC Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Contents
- Magnus Hellberg in action during the SpartakSKA hockey game
- Magnus hellberg 2014 15 video highlights
- Playing career
- References
Magnus hellberg 2014 15 video highlights
Playing career
Magnus was selected 38th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, and was the first goaltender selected in the draft.
Hellberg almost didn't make the trip from Sweden to St. Paul, Minnesota for the draft, citing it was "50-50" that he'd even be drafted. Because of the last minute decision to come, the only person with him was his agent.
Technically, he was the first player to wear the new, redesigned Nashville jersey. The home gold version had still not been unveiled by the team and the road white debuted at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Additionally, the Predators did not have a first round pick, giving Hellberg the honor of becoming the first player to wear it.
During the 2012–13 season, Hellberg appeared in 39 regular season games with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League and two games with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. He added four more games with Milwaukee during AHL post-season.
On 26 October 2013, Hellberg made his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators, playing 12 minutes after replacing starter Carter Hutton in a game against the St. Louis Blues. With the Predators system crowded at both NHL and AHL levels, he was assigned to ECHL affiliate, the Cyclones, to finish the 2013–14 season.
On 1 July 2015, Hellberg was traded to the New York Rangers for a 6th round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
Hellberg was assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack upon his arrival in New York, but was called up on 18 December to serve as a backup to Henrik Lundqvist while Antti Raanta was recovering from a head injury. Hellberg took the ice in a December 20 game against the Washington Capitals after Lundqvist allowed 5 goals, including 4 in the 2nd period; Hellberg allowed 2 goals in the 3rd period as the Rangers eventually lost the game 7-3. On 30 December, after Raanta was cleared to return, Hellberg was sent back down to the Wolf Pack.
Hellberg was called up to the NHL three times during the 2016–17 season, the first call-up came on January 15, 2017 after Raanta suffered a lower body injury against the Montreal Canadiens. As a result, Hellberg was called up to the NHL to back-up Lundqvist for one week while Raanta recovered. Hellberg took the ice once as he replaced Lundqvist during the 3rd period of the Rangers January 17 game against the Dallas Stars; the Rangers lost the game 7-6 despite rallying from a 7-3 deficit. He was called-up again in March after Lundqvist suffered a hip injury. He served as Raanta's backup for 5 games, but did not see any ice time. Hellberg was called up a third time for a season-ending back-to-back set of games, after Raanta suffered another lower body injury. Hellberg sat on the bench as Lundqvist's backup in the first game (A 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators), but Hellberg made his first NHL start in the second game (The Rangers' season finale) against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He stopped 22 of 24 shots as the Rangers won the game 3-2.
As an impending free agent, Hellberg left the NHL and signed a one-year contract to be the starting goaltender of Chinese club, HC Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, on May 25, 2017.