From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 11 will look at young winger Viktor Stalberg.
Viktor Stalberg was born on January 17th, 1986, in Gothenburg, Sweden. His playing career began at the age of eighteen with IF Molndal Hockey's U18 team in the Swedish U18 league, where he played in thirteen games and scored fourteen goals while adding thirteen assists during the 2003-2004 season. He finished the year with the Junior squad of the same organization, playing in eighteen games while potting twenty-five goals and ten assists. Stalberg stayed with that team to begin 2004-2005, appearing in eleven games while registering sixteen goals and seven assists before a promotion to the third-tier league team in the same organization. Here he played in twenty-nine games and had six goals and nine assists. Stalberg returned to the Junior U20 league in 2005-2006, playing for his hometown team, Frolunda HC Goteberg Junior, where he had twenty-seven goals and twenty-six assists in forty-one games, followed by six goals and five assists in seven postseason games. In the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Stalberg was a sixth round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He came to North America in 2006-2007 to play college hockey at the University of Vermont, scoring seven goals and passing eight assists in a full thirty-nine game season. Stalberg improved in his sophomore season at Vermont, posting ten goals and thirteen assists in thirty-nine games. The development continued in his junior year, where he had twenty-four goals and twenty-two assists in thirty-nine games during the 2008-2009 season. At the end of that season, which saw him pick up multiple individual awards and a Hobey Baker nomination while helping guide the team to the Frozen Four, Stalberg joined the Toronto Marlies, American Hockey League affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, for two playoff games, in which he had one assist. He remained with the Marlies to begin the 2009-2010 season, playing in thirty-nine games while scoring twelve goals and supplying twenty-one assists before a promotion to the NHL. In forty games with the Maple Leafs, Stalberg scored nine goals and five assists. On June 30th, 2010, Stalberg's Maple Leafs career ended when he was traded with Chris Didomenico and Phillipe Paradis to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Kris Versteeg and Bill Sweatt as part of the Blackhawks' 2010 post-Stanley Cup-winning sell-off. In 2010-2011, Stalberg showed growth again by playing in seventy-seven games and posting twelve goals and twelve assists in the regular season, followed by one goal in seven postseason games. His development continued in 2011-2012 as he had twenty-two goals and twenty-one assists in seventy-nine games in the regular season and two assists in six playoff games. Stalberg returned to Sweden at first during the NHL lockout of 2012, playing in eleven games with Frolunda of the Swedish Elitserien, to the tune of seven goals and five assists. He headed east to wrap up the lockout while playing with Atlant Mytishchi of the Kontinental Hockey League of Russia and Eastern Europe. During fourteen games with Atlant, Stalberg had three goals and seven assists. After the lockout, Stalberg played in forty-seven games for the Blackhawks during the 2013 season, posting nine goals and fourteen assists. During the playoffs, he occasionally saw top line minutes and in nineteen games had three assists, playing a minor role in helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup just three years after he was brought in because of their previous championship.
Viktor Stalberg was born on January 17th, 1986, in Gothenburg, Sweden. His playing career began at the age of eighteen with IF Molndal Hockey's U18 team in the Swedish U18 league, where he played in thirteen games and scored fourteen goals while adding thirteen assists during the 2003-2004 season. He finished the year with the Junior squad of the same organization, playing in eighteen games while potting twenty-five goals and ten assists. Stalberg stayed with that team to begin 2004-2005, appearing in eleven games while registering sixteen goals and seven assists before a promotion to the third-tier league team in the same organization. Here he played in twenty-nine games and had six goals and nine assists. Stalberg returned to the Junior U20 league in 2005-2006, playing for his hometown team, Frolunda HC Goteberg Junior, where he had twenty-seven goals and twenty-six assists in forty-one games, followed by six goals and five assists in seven postseason games. In the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Stalberg was a sixth round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He came to North America in 2006-2007 to play college hockey at the University of Vermont, scoring seven goals and passing eight assists in a full thirty-nine game season. Stalberg improved in his sophomore season at Vermont, posting ten goals and thirteen assists in thirty-nine games. The development continued in his junior year, where he had twenty-four goals and twenty-two assists in thirty-nine games during the 2008-2009 season. At the end of that season, which saw him pick up multiple individual awards and a Hobey Baker nomination while helping guide the team to the Frozen Four, Stalberg joined the Toronto Marlies, American Hockey League affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, for two playoff games, in which he had one assist. He remained with the Marlies to begin the 2009-2010 season, playing in thirty-nine games while scoring twelve goals and supplying twenty-one assists before a promotion to the NHL. In forty games with the Maple Leafs, Stalberg scored nine goals and five assists. On June 30th, 2010, Stalberg's Maple Leafs career ended when he was traded with Chris Didomenico and Phillipe Paradis to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Kris Versteeg and Bill Sweatt as part of the Blackhawks' 2010 post-Stanley Cup-winning sell-off. In 2010-2011, Stalberg showed growth again by playing in seventy-seven games and posting twelve goals and twelve assists in the regular season, followed by one goal in seven postseason games. His development continued in 2011-2012 as he had twenty-two goals and twenty-one assists in seventy-nine games in the regular season and two assists in six playoff games. Stalberg returned to Sweden at first during the NHL lockout of 2012, playing in eleven games with Frolunda of the Swedish Elitserien, to the tune of seven goals and five assists. He headed east to wrap up the lockout while playing with Atlant Mytishchi of the Kontinental Hockey League of Russia and Eastern Europe. During fourteen games with Atlant, Stalberg had three goals and seven assists. After the lockout, Stalberg played in forty-seven games for the Blackhawks during the 2013 season, posting nine goals and fourteen assists. During the playoffs, he occasionally saw top line minutes and in nineteen games had three assists, playing a minor role in helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup just three years after he was brought in because of their previous championship.
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