Peter Forsberg

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</div></div>Peter Mattias Forsberg (help·info) (born July 20 1973 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player from Sweden. He is currently a center and the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, an NHL franchise. His father, Kent Forsberg, is a former manager for MoDo Hockey and the Swedish National Team. In 2005, the IIHF named Peter Forsberg the premier player in the world.

[edit] Playing career

Peter Forsberg is one of the most recognized faces in Sweden and in hockey. He is the only Swedish hockey player to win the Stanley Cup, the World Championship and Olympic Hockey Gold twice.^{[citation needed]} He played for his hometown team MoDo Hockey in Sweden during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. He planned his return to his homeland even before the current NHL labor dispute turned into a full-fledged lockout. When the NHL resolved its labor dispute he ended up signing with the Philadelphia Flyers for 11.7 million dollars over two years, turning down an offer of 13.5 million dollars over four years to play with the Colorado Avalanche.^{[citation needed]}

Peter Forsberg has been named the World Hockey Player of the Year for 2005 according to Pro Hockey, a National Hockey League publication based in Europe. The award was decided by a jury of 15 international hockey journalists and players, which presents a top-100 list of the world’s best players at the end of every year.

Forsberg has not played a full NHL season since the 1995-1996 season, and he missed the entire 2001-2002 regular season due to a variety of injuries.

From a young age, Forsberg was recognized as a top athlete. At age 15, Swedish hockey officials made a video of Forsberg, showing off his superior agility and vertical leap.^{[citation needed]} He played junior hockey with MoDo Hockey, debuting in 1989. After playing 23 games with the senior club in 1991, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers with the 6th pick of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.

The first pick of that same draft, Eric Lindros would be permanently connected to Forsberg when, with Eric having refused to sign with the Quebec Nordiques, they traded him, on June 30, 1992. The Nordiques gave Lindros to the Flyers in exchange for Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Chris Simon, Mike Ricci, two first round draft picks, and $15,000,000 cash. Many consider this trade to be the foundation of the Nordiques-turned-Colorado Avalanche's pair of Stanley Cup-winning teams.^{[citation needed]}

Forsberg remained in Sweden, playing for MoDo for the next 2 years. In 1994, he led the Swedes to a gold medal in the Winter Olympics, scoring the winning goal of the penalty shootout that decided the gold medal game. An image of Forsberg scoring this goal was later placed on a Swedish postage stamp, making Peter the only hockey player so far to be placed on a Swedish stamp.^{[citation needed]} Forsberg's famous move on Canadian goaltender Corey Hirsch (who refused to be shown on the stamp) has become so iconic in hockey that efforts to reproduce it inevitably draw references to Forsberg from hockey commentators.^{[citation needed]}

Forsberg first played in the NHL in the 1994-1995 season. He scored 50 points in the strike-shortened season and won the Calder Trophy. In 1995, the Nordiques moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche. In their first year in Denver, he scored 116 points in the regular season, and 21 points in 22 games during the playoffs, helping the Avalanche defeat the Florida Panthers to win the Stanley Cup.

In 2001, the Avalanche won their second Stanley Cup. After the Avalanche defeated the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the playoffs, Forsberg had to have his spleen removed and did not play again in the playoffs. He decided to take the entire next season off to recuperate, and only returned for the playoffs, which he again led in scoring with 27 points, but again with his team losing before the Stanley Cup Finals, this time to the Detroit Red Wings.

2002-2003 was a banner year for Forsberg. Much healthier and more rested than he had been in the previous few years, he went on to lead the league with 106 points, and was rewarded with the Hart Trophy. The Avalanche lost to the underdog Minnesota Wild in the playoffs.

Forsberg is (like many other Forsbergs) well-known in Sweden by the nickname "Foppa", which contrary to popular belief does not have any definite meaning like "puck wizard", but is just a Swedish hypocoristic of his last name.

[edit] Captaincy

On September 14th, 2006, Forsberg became the 15th Captain in team history. He was named the Captain by the Flyers organization after Keith Primeau announced his retirement from hockey earlier in the day.

[edit] Awards

• 1992: Gold Medal (Ice Hockey World Championships).
• 1993: Silver Medal (Ice Hockey World Championships).
• 1994: Gold Medal (XVII Olympic Winter Games).
• 1994-95: All-Rookie Team (NHL)
• 1994-95: Calder Trophy (NHL)
• 1995-96: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1995-96: Stanley Cup Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
• 1995-96: Viking Award (Best Swede in NHL)
• 1996: Bronze Medal (World Cup of Hockey)
• 1997-98: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1997-98: First All-Star Team (NHL)
• 1997-98: Viking Award (Best Swede in NHL)
• 1998: Gold Medal (Ice Hockey World Championships).
• 1998-99: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 1998-99: First All-Star Team (NHL)
• 1998-99: Viking Award (Best Swede in NHL)
• 2000-01: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2000-01: Stanley Cup Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
• 2002-03: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2002-03: Bud Light Plus/Minus Award shared with Milan Hejduk (NHL)
• 2002-03: Hart Trophy (NHL)
• 2002-03: Art Ross Trophy (NHL)
• 2002-03: Viking Award (Best Swede in NHL)
• 2003: Silver Medal (Ice Hockey World Championships).
• 2004: Silver Medal (Ice Hockey World Championships).
• 2006: Gold Medal (XX Olympic Winter Games).
• 2005-06: Yanick Dupre Memorial (Philadelphia Flyers)

[edit] Records

Peter Forsberg at the 1993 World Junior Championship set an all time tournament record with 31 points in only seven games. also, he ranks first in career points among tournament scorers with 42 points. (10 goals and 32 assists)

With his second Olympic Gold in 2006 he became the third player in history to have enough titles to join the Triple Gold Club twice (the others being Vyacheslav Fetisov and Igor Larionov).

[edit] Career statistics

Stats as of October 24, 2006.

[edit] International play

• 1992 - Played for Sweden in the 1992 Ice Hockey World Championships (1st place).
• 1993 - Played for Sweden in the 1993 Ice Hockey World Championships (2nd place).
• 1994 - Played for Sweden in the XVII Olympic Winter Games (1st place).
• 1996 - Played for Sweden in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey (3rd place).
• 1998 - Played for Sweden in the XVIII Olympic Winter Games (5th place)
• 1998 - Played for Sweden in the 1998 Ice Hockey World Championships (1st place).
• 2003 - Played for Sweden in the 2003 Ice Hockey World Championships (2nd place).
• 2004 - Played for Sweden in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey (5th place).
• 2004 - Played for Sweden in the 2004 Ice Hockey World Championships (2nd place).
• 2006 - Played for Sweden in the XX Olympic Winter Games (1st place).

[edit] See also

• List of Swedes in sports

[edit] References

• The Hockey Hall of Fame official website

[edit] External link

• Peter Forsberg on Internet Hockey Database

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