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Marcus Krüger

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Marcus Krüger
Krüger with the Chicago Blackhawks in December 2014
Born (1990-05-27) 27 May 1990 (age 34)
Stockholm, Sweden
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Center
Shoots Left
Allsv team
Former teams		 Djurgårdens IF
Chicago Blackhawks
Carolina Hurricanes
ZSC Lions
National team  Sweden
NHL draft 149th overall, 2009
Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career 2009–present

Marcus Viktor Krüger[1] (born 27 May 1990) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centreman who is currently playing as captain for Djurgårdens IF Hockey of the HockeyAllsvenskan (Allsv). He was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fifth round, 149th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015.

Before joining the Blackhawks, Krüger previously played for Stockholm-based Djurgårdens IF then of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Krüger represents Sweden in international play, helping his country capture a bronze medal at the junior level and a silver medal in senior international play.

Playing career

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Sweden

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Krüger was announced as the first of four nominees for the 2009–10 Elitserien Rookie of the Year on 18 October 2009[2] after starting the season with five goals and 11 assists in just 13 games.

Chicago Blackhawks

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Krüger signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in June 2010 but opted to stay with Djurgården during the first year of the contract[3][4] He was later recalled from Djurgården to Chicago on 23 March 2011 to make his NHL debut that day in a 4–0 win against the Florida Panthers.[5] Krüger made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in game two of the first round of the 2011 playoffs on 15 April in a 4–3 loss over the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks and recorded his first career playoff point and NHL point with an assist on a Duncan Keith goal in a Blackhawks 5–0 win over the Canucks in game five on 21 April.[6]

Krüger's first full season with the Blackhawks was in 2011–12, when he played in 71 games with the club, scoring nine goals and adding 17 assists.[7] Krüger recorded his first career regular season assist and point on 8 October 2011 in a 5–2 win over the Dallas Stars on a goal scored by Dave Bolland.[8] His first career goal came on 29 October in a 5–2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.[9]

On 9 May 2013, in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarter-finals, Krüger scored his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal, which happened to be the game-winner and series-winner against Minnesota Wild goaltender Josh Harding. The Blackhawks eventually won the 2013 Stanley Cup after defeating the Boston Bruins in six games in the finals,[10] with Krüger contributing three goals, two assists and five points in all 23 games during the team's run.[11] After his playoff success with the team, Krüger signed a two-year extension with the Blackhawks on 12 July.[11]

He scored eight goals and 20 assists in 81 games for Chicago during the 2013–14 season and seven goals, 10 assists and 17 points in 81 games during the 2014–15 season, respectively. On 19 May 2015, he scored the game-winning triple overtime away goal to tie the Western Conference finals 1–1 against the Anaheim Ducks.[12] The Blackhawks would eventually defeat the Ducks in seven games in the Conference Finals before defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, giving Krüger his second Stanley Cup.[13]

On 11 September 2015, Krüger signed a one-year, 1.5 million dollar contract to stay with the Blackhawks for the 2015–16 season.[14] On 17 December, Krüger dislocated his wrist in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. He was projected to miss at least four months while recovering from the injury.[15] On 27 February 2016 the Blackhawks announced that Krüger would be switching his number to 22 in order for his new teammate acquired from the Winnipeg Jets, Andrew Ladd, to keep his traditional number 16.[16] On 9 March, The Blackhawks signed Krüger to a three-year, $9.25 million contract extension that runs through the 2018–19 season.[17]

In the 2016 off-season with Ladd signing with the New York Islanders in free agency, Krüger announced he would be switching his number from 22 back to his original number 16.[18]

Carolina Hurricanes

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After completing his seventh season with the Blackhawks, Krüger was long rumored as a candidate to be traded away due to considerable salary cap constraints. With a reported deal to the Vegas Golden Knights pre-dating the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft for draft considerations, Krüger surprisingly remained with Chicago through to the opening of free agency. On 2 July 2017, Krüger was dealt by the Blackhawks to the Golden Knights in exchange for future considerations.[19] On 4 July 2017, Krüger was then moved on by the Golden Knights in a trade to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 5th-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[20] Krüger was placed on injured reserve by the Hurricanes on 3 January 2018,[21] and was placed on waivers on 8 February.[22]

Return to Chicago

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On 3 May, 2018, Krüger was initially traded by the Hurricanes to the Arizona Coyotes along with a third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, in exchange for forward Jordan Martinook and a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[23] On 12 July, Krüger was then traded by the Coyotes back to the Blackhawks along with prospect MacKenzie Entwistle, Jordan Maletta, and Andrew Campbell in a deal that sent the contract of Marián Hossa to the Coyotes, along with Vinnie Hinostroza, Jordan Oesterle and a third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.[24]

On 20 February 2019, Krüger played his 500th NHL game in a 5–4 OT win over the Detroit Red Wings.[25]

ZSC Lions

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Following the 2018–19 season, Krüger ended his nine-year career in the NHL, returning to Europe as a free agent in signing a two-year contract with Swiss club ZSC Lions of the NL on 5 July 2019.[26] On 17 February 2021, Krüger was signed to an early one-year contract extension through to the end of the 2021–22 season.[27]

International play

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Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Sweden
Winter Olympics
Silver medal – second place 2014 Sochi
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Germany/France
Silver medal – second place 2011 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Canada

Krüger represented Sweden three times in international play. At the junior level, he helped his country capture a bronze medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships. After graduating to the senior level, Krüger has played for Sweden twice, in 2011 (finishing with a silver medal) and 2012.[7] He also represented Sweden in the 2014 Winter Olympics. After several injuries to the team's centremen, Krüger played on Sweden's first line in the tournament final against Canada, which the Swedes lost 3–0.

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2006–07 Djurgårdens IF J18 18 5 11 16 10 — — — — —
2006–07 Djurgårdens IF J18 Allsv 5 0 3 3 0 3 2 1 3 2
2007–08 Djurgårdens IF J18 18 9 17 26 18 — — — — —
2007–08 Djurgårdens IF J18 Allsv 4 2 3 5 4 7 3 8 11 6
2007–08 Djurgårdens IF J20 22 3 13 16 16 7 5 3 8 0
2008–09 Djurgårdens IF J20 34 9 30 39 24 6 1 5 6 2
2008–09 Djurgårdens IF SEL 15 2 2 4 2 — — — — —
2009–10 Djurgårdens IF SEL 38 11 20 31 14 16 3 7 10 6
2010–11 Djurgårdens IF SEL 52 6 29 35 52 3 0 1 1 0
2010–11 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 7 0 0 0 4 5 0 1 1 0
2011–12 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 71 9 17 26 22 6 0 0 0 0
2012–13 Rockford IceHogs AHL 34 8 14 22 24 — — — — —
2012–13 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 47 4 9 13 24 23 3 2 5 2
2013–14 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 81 8 20 28 36 19 1 3 4 6
2014–15 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 81 7 10 17 32 23 2 2 4 4
2015–16 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 41 0 4 4 24 7 0 1 1 0
2016–17 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 70 5 12 17 34 4 0 1 1 2
2017–18 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 48 1 5 6 28 — — — — —
2017–18 Charlotte Checkers AHL 19 4 4 8 14 — — — — —
2018–19 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 74 4 8 12 30 — — — — —
2019–20 ZSC Lions NL 34 8 11 19 18 — — — — —
2020–21 ZSC Lions NL 41 9 14 23 24 5 0 2 2 0
2021–22 ZSC Lions NL 45 8 19 27 28 13 3 3 6 8
2022–23 Djurgårdens IF Swe-1 50 12 37 49 36 17 5 11 16 6
SHL totals 105 19 51 70 68 19 3 8 11 6
NHL totals 520 38 85 123 234 87 6 10 16 14

International

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Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2010 Sweden WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 0 6 6 2
2011 Sweden WC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 9 2 1 3 10
2012 Sweden WC 6th 8 3 2 5 6
2014 Sweden OG 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6 0 0 0 4
2016 Sweden WCH 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 4 0 0 0 0
2017 Sweden WC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 10 0 3 3 6
2019 Sweden WC 5th 8 2 1 3 2
2022 Sweden OG 4th 5 0 0 0 0
Junior totals 6 0 6 6 2
Senior totals 50 7 7 14 28

References

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  1. ^ Olympedia (2024). "Marcus Krüger". olympedia.com. Olympedia. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  2. ^ Feltenmark, Anders (18 October 2009). "Marcus Krüger Årets Rookiekandidat". Svenska Ishockeyförbundet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2009.
  3. ^ "Blackhawks sign 2009 draft pick Marcus Kruger". June 18, 2010. Chicago Blackhawks. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  4. ^ "Krüger skrev på för NHL-mästarna". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 17 June 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  5. ^ "Blackhawks recall forward Marcus Kruger from Sweden". blackhawks.nhl.com. Chicago Blackhawks. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Blackhawks 5, Canucks 0". nhl.com. NHL. Associated Press. 21 April 2011. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Marcus Kruger, Blackhawks". National Hockey League. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  8. ^ CBS Chicago (8 October 2011). "Bolland's Two Goals Lift Blackhawks Over Stars In Home Opener". cbsnews.com. CBS Chicago. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  9. ^ K (30 October 2011). "Blackhawks show some offense in victory over Blue Jackets". shawlocal.com. Shaw Local. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  10. ^ "17 Seconds, 2 Goals and a Victory". New York Times. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  11. ^ a b Neveau, James (12 July 2013). "Marcus Kruger Agrees to 2-Year Deal With Blackhawks". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Kruger scores in 3rd Overtime to level series". National Hockey League. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  13. ^ ESPN (16 June 2015). "Blackhawks claim third Stanley Cup in six seasons with shutout of Lightning". ESPN. ESPN. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Marcus Kruger signs 1-year, $1.5 million deal with Blackhawks". Second City Hockey. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  15. ^ Dietz, John (17 December 2015). "Blackhawks' Kruger to miss four months after wrist surgery". Daily Herald. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  16. ^ "Marcus Kruger gives No. 16 to Andrew Ladd". Chicago. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  17. ^ Gretz, Adam (8 March 2016). "Blackhawks give Marcus Kruger three-year, $9.25 million contract". CBS Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  18. ^ Brandon Cain (16 July 2016). "Marcus Kruger changes number back to No. 16 so Jordin Tootoo can have No. 22". secondcityhockey.com. Second City Hockey. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Vegas acquires Marcus Kruger from Chicago". Vegas Golden Knights. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Hurricanes acquire Kruger from Vegas". The Sports Network. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  21. ^ Williams, Terrell (3 January 2018). "Canes Recall Aleksi Saarela From Charlotte". NHL.com. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  22. ^ Smith, Michael (8 February 2018). "Hurricanes Place Kruger, Jooris on Waivers". NHL.com. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Kruger traded to Coyotes by Hurricanes for Martinook". NHL.com. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  24. ^ "Blackhawks trade Hossa's contract to Coyotes in package deal". The Sports Network. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  25. ^ "Kane scores 2 more, Blackhawks beat Red Wings 5-4 in OT". ESPN. ESPN. Associated Press. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  26. ^ "ZSC Lions sign Marcus Kruger". ZSC Lions (in German). 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  27. ^ "Five extensions and a new contract on the ZSC Lions". swisshockeynews.ch. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
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