William Eklund

William Eklund (born 12 October 2002) is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Eklund is the son of former ice hockey player Christian Eklund, who also played for Eklund's former team Djurgårdens IF.[1]

William Eklund
Born (2002-10-12) 12 October 2002
Haninge, Sweden
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 181 lb (82 kg; 12 st 13 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 San Jose Sharks
Djurgårdens IF
NHL draft 7th overall, 2021
San Jose Sharks
Playing career 2020–present

Playing career

Eklund made his debut in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) on 4 January 2020, playing for Djurgårdens IF in a 4–2 win away against IK Oskarshamn.[2] He played a total of 20 regular season games and scoring two points during the rest of the 2019–20 SHL season. He collected five points in his first eight games in the 2020–21 SHL season. Considered the top international prospect for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by NHL Central Scouting,[3] he was selected seventh overall by the San Jose Sharks.[4]

Eklund was signed by the Sharks to a three-year, entry-level contract on 16 August 2021.[5] He made his NHL debut on 16 October, in a 4–3 win over the Winnipeg Jets, where he also registered his first point, an assist.[6] After playing nine games with the Sharks, he was reassigned back to Sweden on 5 November.[7] Eklund scored his first NHL goal on 14 March 2023, in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.[8]

International play

Eklund was named for the preliminary Sweden junior team roster for the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, but tested positive for COVID-19, preventing him from joining the final roster for the tournament.[9]

Eklund made his debut with the Sweden senior team on 28 April 2021, in a friendly game against Denmark where he scored one goal and made one assist.[10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
2018–19 Djurgårdens IF J20 131236 8260
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF J20 3112243622 —————
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF SHL 200224 —————
2020–21 Djurgårdens IF SHL 401112232 31122
2021–22 San Jose Sharks NHL 90442 —————
2021–22 Djurgårdens IF SHL 29113144 —————
2022–23 San Jose Barracuda AHL 5417244143 —————
2022–23 San Jose Sharks NHL 82136 —————
2023–24 San Jose Sharks NHL 8016294530 —————
SHL totals 8912273910 31122
NHL totals 9718345238 —————

International
Year Team Event Result GPGAPtsPIM
2019 Sweden HG18 51232
Junior totals 51232

Awards and honors
Award Year Ref
SHL
Rookie of the Year 2021 [11]
Swedish junior player of the year 2021 [12]
NHL
E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence 2021 [13]

References
  1. Ögren, Vendela (15 February 2020). "Inte längesen man stod där i klacken och skrek". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  2. Ränkeskog, Gustaf (4 January 2020). "Vinst när ikonens son debuterade". Aftonbladet. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  3. 2021 Draft Prospects Ranking, National Hockey League, retrieved 27 May 2021
  4. "Sharks Select William Eklund with Seventh Overall Pick". National Hockey League. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  5. "Sharks Sign 2021 Seventh Overall Selection William Eklund". National Hockey League. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  6. "Sharks' rookies Eklund, Weatherby lead comeback victory over Jets". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  7. "Sharks Reassign William Eklund to Djurgardens". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  8. "Gaudreau has 5 points as Blue Jackets beat Sharks 6–5 in OT". ESPN. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  9. Wagner, Daniel (7 December 2020). "COVID-19 could mean Canucks' Costmar gets a major opportunity at the World Junior Championship". Vancouver is Awesome. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  10. Ahlberg, Ingela (28 April 2021). "Tre Kronor-debutanten glänste mot Danmark". Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  11. "Vinnare av Årets rookie i SHL 2020/2021" (in Swedish). Swedish Hockey League. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  12. "William Eklund, Djurgårdens IF är Årets Junior 2020/2021". swehockey.se. Swedish Ice Hockey Association. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  13. Morreale, Mike (5 July 2021). "Eklund receives E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence". National Hockey League.
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