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 16 talks about shutdown defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.
Niklas "Hammer" Hjalmarsson was born on June 6th, 1987 in Eksjo, Sweden. He began his playing career in the 2003-2004 season in the Swedish Junior league with HV 71 Jonkoping's junior team, playing in fifteen games with one goal and three assists. He was also pointless in four postseason games. He joined their U18 team for part of the 2004-2005 season, playing in three games with just two assists before rejoining the junior team for another thirty-one games, where he recorded four goals and eleven assists. He was drafted in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft as a fourth round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks. Then he received a promotion to the Elitserien squad, but he went without a point in fourteen games. Hjalmarsson was riddled with injury in 2005-2006, playing in just seven games with the junior team, scoring three goals and adding two assists, followed by four games with a single goal and two assists at the Elitserien level. He also had one assist in twelve postseason games for the parent squad. Hjalmarsson was all over the place in 2006-2007, playing for the junior team in seven games with only two assists, followed by a stint in the second-tier Swedish league for eight games with IK Oskarshamn in which he had a goal and two assists, and finally closing out the season with HV 71 for thirty-seven games, scoring only two goals. Then, he represented Sweden in the World Junior Championships, scoring at a pace of two goals and one assist in seven games. In 2007-2008, Hjalmarsson came to North America and played for the Blackhawks American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Here he appeared in forty-seven regular season games with four goals and nine assists to his credit, followed by twelve postseason games where he had four assists. Hjalmarsson was promoted to the NHL after the Blackhawks traded away James Wisniewski, and he played in thirteen games with just one assist. In 2008-2009, Hjalmarsson again began the season in Rockford, playing to a line of two goals and sixteen assists in fifty-two games before playing another twenty-one games with the Blackhawks, which saw him produce one goal and two assists. He became a full-time player in the 2009-2010, where his shutdown defense and occasional offense were finally put in the spotlight. He scored two goals and fifteen assists in seventy-seven regular season games, and then in the postseason, he made twenty-two appearances with one goal and seven assists, providing scoring from the blue line to help the Blackhawks win the 2010 Stanley Cup. His performance attracted the attention of the San Jose Sharks, who signed him to an offer sheet in the 2010 offseason, worth $14 million over four years. The Blackhawks matched the offer sheet to retain Hjalmarsson's rights. The move cost them goaltender Antti Niemi, a critical part of the Stanley Cup run, who went to those same Sharks that provided the offer sheet. In 2010-2011, Hjalmarsson played in eighty games and scored only three goals and seven assists in the regular season, followed by just two assists in seven postseason games. He bounced back a bit in 2011-2012, playing in just sixty-nine games but upping his production to one goal and fourteen assists during the regular season. In the playoffs, he had one assist in six games. During the lockout of 2012, Hjalmarsson took his talents to Italy, playing in their Serie A for hockey and scoring six goals and sixteen assists in sixteen games before returning to North America. He played forty-six games in the truncated season for the Blackhawks, scoring two goals and eight assists. In the postseason, Hjalmarsson was part of a smothering defense for twenty-three games, and his five assists were a modest contribution to his and the Blackhawks' second Stanley Cup victory in four years. He is the first of nine players to be profiled that were on both Cup winning teams.
Niklas "Hammer" Hjalmarsson was born on June 6th, 1987 in Eksjo, Sweden. He began his playing career in the 2003-2004 season in the Swedish Junior league with HV 71 Jonkoping's junior team, playing in fifteen games with one goal and three assists. He was also pointless in four postseason games. He joined their U18 team for part of the 2004-2005 season, playing in three games with just two assists before rejoining the junior team for another thirty-one games, where he recorded four goals and eleven assists. He was drafted in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft as a fourth round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks. Then he received a promotion to the Elitserien squad, but he went without a point in fourteen games. Hjalmarsson was riddled with injury in 2005-2006, playing in just seven games with the junior team, scoring three goals and adding two assists, followed by four games with a single goal and two assists at the Elitserien level. He also had one assist in twelve postseason games for the parent squad. Hjalmarsson was all over the place in 2006-2007, playing for the junior team in seven games with only two assists, followed by a stint in the second-tier Swedish league for eight games with IK Oskarshamn in which he had a goal and two assists, and finally closing out the season with HV 71 for thirty-seven games, scoring only two goals. Then, he represented Sweden in the World Junior Championships, scoring at a pace of two goals and one assist in seven games. In 2007-2008, Hjalmarsson came to North America and played for the Blackhawks American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Here he appeared in forty-seven regular season games with four goals and nine assists to his credit, followed by twelve postseason games where he had four assists. Hjalmarsson was promoted to the NHL after the Blackhawks traded away James Wisniewski, and he played in thirteen games with just one assist. In 2008-2009, Hjalmarsson again began the season in Rockford, playing to a line of two goals and sixteen assists in fifty-two games before playing another twenty-one games with the Blackhawks, which saw him produce one goal and two assists. He became a full-time player in the 2009-2010, where his shutdown defense and occasional offense were finally put in the spotlight. He scored two goals and fifteen assists in seventy-seven regular season games, and then in the postseason, he made twenty-two appearances with one goal and seven assists, providing scoring from the blue line to help the Blackhawks win the 2010 Stanley Cup. His performance attracted the attention of the San Jose Sharks, who signed him to an offer sheet in the 2010 offseason, worth $14 million over four years. The Blackhawks matched the offer sheet to retain Hjalmarsson's rights. The move cost them goaltender Antti Niemi, a critical part of the Stanley Cup run, who went to those same Sharks that provided the offer sheet. In 2010-2011, Hjalmarsson played in eighty games and scored only three goals and seven assists in the regular season, followed by just two assists in seven postseason games. He bounced back a bit in 2011-2012, playing in just sixty-nine games but upping his production to one goal and fourteen assists during the regular season. In the playoffs, he had one assist in six games. During the lockout of 2012, Hjalmarsson took his talents to Italy, playing in their Serie A for hockey and scoring six goals and sixteen assists in sixteen games before returning to North America. He played forty-six games in the truncated season for the Blackhawks, scoring two goals and eight assists. In the postseason, Hjalmarsson was part of a smothering defense for twenty-three games, and his five assists were a modest contribution to his and the Blackhawks' second Stanley Cup victory in four years. He is the first of nine players to be profiled that were on both Cup winning teams.
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