Markus Näslund

Early life

Näslund was born to Sture and Ulla Näslund on 30 July 1973 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The city has produced numerous NHL players, including childhood friend and future Modo Hockey teammate Peter Forsberg, as well as Victor Hedman and future Canucks teammates Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

Growing up idolizing Swedish NHL and Elitserien star Håkan Loob, he played most of his organized hockey at an outdoor rink in his neighbourhood during his youth. At age 14, Näslund competed with the regional all-star team from Ångermanland, helping the squad win a national under-16 championship at TV-pucken in 1988. He received the Sven Tumba Award as the tournament's best forward.

Born within 10 days of each other, Näslund and Forsberg became well-acquainted while playing on separate youth teams. They went on to join the Ångermanland team together, before competing on the same side at the junior and senior levels for Modo Hockey and the Swedish national team. They attended high school together and had summer jobs at the age of 18 with the same electrical company that employed both Näslund's mother and Forsberg's father, Kent.

Playing career

Modo Hockey

At age 15, Näslund played a season with Örnsköldsviks SK in Sweden's third-tier men's league. Appearing in 14 games, he scored 7 goals and 13 points. The following season, in 1989–90, Näslund joined the Modo Hockey organization, playing in Sweden's highest-level junior league, the J20 SuperElit, where he and Peter Forsberg skated together on one of the most productive lines in the league. The pair helped Modo to win back-to-back junior championships. After a season of junior, in 1990–91 Näslund joined Modo's professional team in the Elitserien, Sweden's premiere league. The Modo equipment manager designated him with the jersey number 19, which Näslund thereafter opted to wear with the Swedish national teams he played on. He recorded 10 goals and 19 points in his rookie season, a record points total for a 17-year-old in the league, until Robert Nilsson scored 21 in 2002–03.

In the off-season, Näslund was drafted 16th overall in the 1991 NHL entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team's general manager, Craig Patrick, hailed Näslund and Forsberg as the draft's top two prospects behind first-overall selection Eric Lindros. He compared Näslund to the Los Angeles Kings' Swedish forward Tomas Sandström, although he did not consider him as aggressive a player, and further claimed that he was a more natural goal-scorer than Penguins forward Jaromír Jágr, who had just completed his rookie year with the club.

Näslund remained in Sweden with Modo for two more years, recording a team-leading 39 points in 1991–92. He matched that points total the following season before helping Modo to the quarterfinals of the Elitserien playoffs.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Following the 1992–93 season, his contract with Modo expired on 30 April 1993, and he had not yet come to terms with the Penguins. According to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NHL and NHL Players Association (NHLPA), he was entitled to free agency within the league, beginning on 1 July. However, a conflicting agreement between the league and Swedish ice hockey officials required that he sign an NHL contract on or before 30 June in order to leave Sweden. With the deadline approaching, Näslund filed a federal lawsuit against the NHL claiming that their agreement with Swedish officials could not override his rights as a player under the CBA. The case went to a federal judge in Newark, New Jersey, who ruled in favour of Näslund on 29 June. League president and lawyer Gil Stein released an affidavit stating the NHL-Swedish agreement did not apply to Näslund, as he was not under contract with any Swedish team.

Näslund became a Group 4 restricted free agent on 1 July. He did not receive any offers from other teams due to an apparent promise from the Penguins organization to exercise their right to match. After two months of free agency, Näslund and the Penguins agreed to a deal on 9 September 1993, worth approximately US$1.8 million over three years, including a $750,000 signing bonus.

Näslund subsequently joined the Penguins for the 1993–94 season. Due to teammate Bryan Trottier already wearing his Modo jersey number, 19, he chose number 29 instead. He appeared in his first NHL game on 5 October 1993 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Five days later, he registered his first NHL point, an assist, during a game against the Quebec Nordiques. His first NHL goal came the following month on 9 November 1993 in a 3–3 tie against the St. Louis Blues. The goal came in the first period on the powerplay against goaltender Curtis Joseph, assisted by Doug Brown and Marty McSorley. Upon entering the NHL, Näslund struggled and was admittedly frustrated with himself. As a result, he was demoted to the Penguins' International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate, the Cleveland Lumberjacks, on several occasions. He finished his rookie campaign with four goals and seven assists in 71 games. Although the Penguins qualified for the 1994 playoffs, Näslund did not participate in post-season play, being made a healthy scratch (non-dressing player), and watched as Washington eliminated Pittsburgh in the first round.

The following season, shortened due to the 1994–95 labour dispute, he continued to split playing time between the NHL and IHL. In 14 games with Pittsburgh, he scored two goals and four points, while recording seven points in seven games with Cleveland. He did not appear in the NHL playoffs for a second straight season, despite the Penguins qualifying. Instead, he was assigned to Cleveland for their playoff season, in which he recorded four points in four games. Frustrated by his ongoing demotions to the IHL, at one point during the season he requested to be traded from Pittsburgh.

Vancouver Canucks

In the final year of his contract with Pittsburgh, he was the subject of trade rumours. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette listed the Edmonton Oilers as the most likely candidate to deal for Näslund. However, on 20 March 1996, he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Alek Stojanov. The deal would be regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history once Näslund displayed his full offensive capabilities later in his career. Stojanov, who had been drafted eight spots ahead of Näslund in the 1991 Draft, went on to play 45 games, scoring two goals and four assists for the Penguins over the next two seasons. He became a career minor-leaguer and retired by age 29, while Näslund would eventually play 884 games with the Canucks in 12 seasons.

Näslund made his debut with the team two days following the trade against the Dallas Stars. As his desired jersey number 19 was already being worn on the team by Tim Hunter, the Canucks gave him number 22. Going pointless in his first nine games with his new club, Näslund recorded a hat-trick in the last game of the regular season, a 5–0 win over the Calgary Flames on 13 April 1996. The victory qualified the Canucks for the 1996 playoffs. He finished the regular season with a combined 22 goals and 55 points over 76 games between Pittsburgh and Vancouver. Näslund competed in his first NHL playoffs as the Canucks faced the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. He scored his first career NHL playoff goal in the final game of the series, opening the scoring against goaltender Patrick Roy on the powerplay. Colorado won 3–2 to eliminate Vancouver in six games. Näslund added two assists over the course of the series for three points total.

In the off-season, he was re-signed by the Canucks on 8 August 1996. Näslund switched his jersey number back to 19 from his time with Modo, as Hunter left the team. In his first full campaign with the Canucks, he recorded 21 goals and 41 points over 78 games. The Canucks failed to qualify for the playoffs that season; they would not return to the post-season until 2001. At the start of the 1997–98 season, Canucks head coach Mike Keenan scratched a healthy Näslund, prompting him to request a trade once again. He finished the year with 14 goals and 34 points over 76 games.

The following campaign, Näslund emerged as an offensive leader with the Canucks. Injuries to forwards Alexander Mogilny and Todd Bertuzzi, as well as the absence of Pavel Bure, resulted in Näslund earning more ice time. He scored his third NHL career hat-trick on 5 December 1998 during a 4–1 win against the Dallas Stars. At mid-season, he was named to his first NHL All-Star Game, held in January 1999. He went on to record a team-leading 36 goals and 66 points, resulting in him being awarded the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the Canucks' most valuable player—his first of five during his tenure with Vancouver— as well as his first of two of the team's annual Most Exciting Player Awards (he received his second two years later). In the off-season, he was re-signed by the Canucks to a three-year, $7.2 million contract.

New York Rangers

Näslund signed a two-year, $8 million contract, including a $1 million signing bonus, with the New York Rangers on 3 July 2008. Upon signing, he revealed New York was his preferred destination heading into free agency. He left Vancouver as the franchise's all-time leader in goals and points with 346 and 756, respectively. His departure also ended his eight-year tenure as team captain, matching Stan Smyl's captaincy as the longest in franchise history. General manager Mike Gillis, who formerly acted as Näslund's agent, released a statement on behalf of the Canucks organization, commending him as "one of the greatest athletes to ever represent the Canucks both on and off of the ice".

Näslund chose to wear #91 with the Rangers, as his #19 was already being worn by Scott Gomez.

As the Rangers held their training camp for the 2008–09 season overseas in Europe, they competed in a one-game challenge against Russian squad Metallurg Magnitogorsk on 1 October 2008 in Bern, Switzerland. The Rangers won the game 4–3, capturing the inaugural Victoria Cup. On 3 October, Näslund was named an alternate captain for the Rangers. The next day, he scored his first goal as a Ranger during the season-opener in Prague, Czech Republic, a 2–1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his only season with the Rangers, Näslund led the team in scoring with 24 goals and was fourth in points with 46. He added three points in the playoffs, as the Rangers were eliminated in the first round by the Washington Capitals.

Following the Rangers' defeat, he announced his retirement from the NHL on 4 May 2009, at the age of 35. Näslund had informed Rangers general manager Glen Sather, head coach John Tortorella, and his teammates of his intention to retire prior to the team's playoff elimination. By announcing his retirement early in the off-season, Näslund forfeited a $2 million buyout from the Rangers, which would have counted against the team's salary cap for the following season had he waited until he was formally bought out. Näslund retired from the NHL second among all-time Swedish players with 395 goals (behind Mats Sundin's 564; he retired the same year). His 869 points ranked fifth, while his 1,117 games played ranked fourth.

Return to Modo and retirement

Näslund returned to Sweden with his family in the summer of 2009. During this time, Peter Forsberg was attempting a return to the NHL for the 2009–10 season, playing with Modo and the Swedish national team for conditioning purposes. Among the NHL teams interested were the Vancouver Canucks. Näslund had previously tried recruiting Forsberg to play for the Canucks prior to the 2007–08 season, when Forsberg was an unrestricted free agent, without any luck. Weighing in on Forsberg's possible NHL return, Näslund speculated that Forsberg would remain in Sweden to continue playing for Modo. Several days later, Canucks general manager Mike Gillis confirmed Näslund's speculation, asserting that Forsberg intended on finishing the season with Modo.

The following day, on 17 November 2009, Näslund announced he was coming out of retirement to join Forsberg with Modo for the remainder of the 2009–10 Elitserien season. He explained that while he did not miss playing, both he and Forsberg desired to help their former club out of financial troubles and a last-place standing in the league, facing potential relegation. The announcement crashed the Modo web server as a result of the heavy volume of people visiting the site. As a board member of the club, Näslund said he and Forsberg would play without salary.

Näslund played in his first game back with Modo on 28 November, 11 days after the announcement, registering an assist on the first goal of the game by Forsberg. Modo won the game 4–1 over Rögle BK. The following match, on 1 December, he registered two assists, setting up the game-tying goal with two seconds remaining in regulation by team captain Per Svartvadet and the overtime-winner by Forsberg. He scored his first goal since his return on 8 December in a 4–1 win over HV71. On 27 February, he notched a hat-trick against Färjestad BK in a 10–3 win. Playing in 29 of Modo's 55 games, Näslund scored at a point-per-game pace with 10 goals and 19 assists. Ranked last in the league prior to Näslund's return, Modo went on to earn 58 points in the remaining 36 games of the season, but finished one point out of a playoff spot. Näslund confirmed his second retirement following the campaign.

At the start of the 2010–11 NHL season, the NHL and NHLPA honoured Näslund with a tribute and ceremonial puck drop prior to a game held in Stockholm, Sweden, between the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets. Several months later, the Canucks retired his number 19 jersey prior to a home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on 11 December 2010. Attending the on-ice ceremony were his wife, three children, parents and sister, as well as former Canucks teammates, coaches and executives. The night included a video tribute highlighting his hockey career, speeches from team personalities and gift presentations from the organization. In honour of Näslund and his wife's past philanthropy in the Vancouver community, the team also announced the establishment of a sports equipment centre for underprivileged children. Prior to the jersey raising, Näslund thanked those involved in his career. Reflecting on his career, he commented, "Young hockey players from northern Sweden never dream of a night like this...To go from sitting up in the press box as a healthy scratch to be standing here in front of you is quite amazing." By having his jersey retired, he became the third player in team history to receive the honour, after Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden.

International play

Näslund made his first international appearance for Sweden at the 1989 Four Nations Tournament in the Soviet Union. The following year, he competed in the 1990 European Junior Championships, an under-18 tournament. He went pointless in six games, but helped Sweden to a gold medal finish. He improved the following year with a tournament-leading 14 goals. His 16 points ranked second overall to teammate Peter Forsberg. Sweden failed to defend their gold medal.

Näslund continued to play in junior tournaments over the next two years, competing in the 1992 and 1993 World Junior Championships, where Sweden won back-to-back silver medals. During his first tournament appearance in Germany, he recorded 10 points, ranking third among all players, including a tournament-leading eight goals (tied with four others). Sweden finished second in the tournament's round-robin format to the Commonwealth of Independent States with a record of five wins, one loss and one tie.

The following year, Sweden hosted the World Junior tournament in Gävle. Näslund set a competition record for most goals scored in a single year with 13, while playing on a line with Forsberg and Niklas Sundström. His 24 points were second in the tournament behind Forsberg's 31. Although Sweden and Canada finished with identical records of six wins and one loss, Canada was awarded the gold medal by virtue of their 3–2 win against Sweden during round-robin play. Näslund was named along with Forsberg to the Tournament All-Star team.

Näslund made his senior international debut later that year at the 1993 World Championships in Munich and Dortmund, Germany, where he earned another silver medal with Sweden. He contributed a goal and an assist over eight games. Three years later, he was added to Sweden's roster for the 1996 World Championships in Vienna, Austria, after the Canucks were eliminated in the NHL playoffs. He was pointless while competing in one game, as Sweden failed to medal. Several months later, Näslund competed in the inaugural 1996 World Cup, but was again limited to one game. Sweden reached the semifinal, where they were eliminated by Canada. Competing in his third World Championships in 1999, Näslund helped Sweden to a bronze medal with a 10-point effort in 10 games.

In 2002, Näslund made his first and only appearance in the Winter Olympics at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. He scored his first and only two Olympic goals during a 7–1 win against Germany. After going undefeated in the round-robin and heralded as medal favourites, Sweden was defeated by Belarus 4–3 in the quarterfinal. The loss was widely considered one of the most surprising results in Olympic history, while Näslund described the defeat in a post-game interview as "devastating...for us and our country." He finished the tournament with two goals and an assist over four games, ranking fourth on the team in scoring.

Playing style

Näslund was known as a highly skilled offensive player with good skating and puck-handling abilities. The most prominent aspect of his game was his wrist shot, which was known to be one of the most accurate in the league and accounted for a large portion of his goals. He also earned many of his points on the powerplay. Regarding his skill level and creativity, his first Canucks head coach, Marc Crawford, heralded him as one of "a handful of players in this game who can take a play where there's nothing...and turn it into a scoring chance".

Näslund's prime coincided with the contributing performances of his linemates Bertuzzi and Morrison. His finesse and goal-scoring abilities were complemented by Morrison's playmaking and Bertuzzi's strength and aggression as a power forward. They were known for playing a fast and entertaining style. As a result, head coach Marc Crawford implemented a highly offensive coaching strategy.

As captain of the Canucks for eight years, Näslund was a self-professed "leader by example" with his work ethic and play on the ice. He was often criticized by the media and fans in his final few seasons with the Canucks for not being sufficiently vocal or emotional as the team's captain. Former teammates in Vancouver have described him as a quiet leader that spoke when needed nonetheless. They have also commended him for his integrity, professionalism and the caring manner in which he treated everyone in the organization. In particular, fellow Swedes Daniel and Henrik Sedin have singled him out as a player that mentored them early in their NHL career. New York Rangers general manager Glen Sather reiterated the guiding influence Näslund had on young players coming into the league.

These criticisms began especially in light of his decreasing offensive production following the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The decline was often attributed in the media to him becoming more defensively responsible under new Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. Bertuzzi's absence following the 2005–06 season was also seen as a negative factor for Näslund individually. It was further proposed that the physical effects of his concussion, as a result of Steve Moore's hit against him in 2004, as well as the emotional toll of Bertuzzi's subsequent retaliation against Moore strained his playing efficiency.

Management career

Midway through the 2010–11 Elitserien season on 17 December 2010, Näslund was named the general manager of the Modo organization, overseeing all the organization's sports clubs. In his first season with the organization, the hockey club finished last in the Elitserien, six points out of a playoff spot. Facing relegation to the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, Modo finished second in the 2011 Kvalserien, retaining their Elitserien status for the 2011–12 season.

In the off-season, Näslund was joined by Peter Forsberg on Modo's management team. Forsberg was announced as Modo's assistant manager in April 2011.

Off the ice

Personal

Näslund and his wife Lotta have three children: Rebecca, Isabella, and Alex. During his NHL career, they spent their summers in Sweden. Like Swedes Nicklas Lidström and his childhood idol, Håkan Loob, Näslund had expressed a desire to raise his children in his homeland Sweden. He made headlines when he first publicly contemplated an early retirement from the NHL to serve those purposes during the 2002–03 season. However, he also considered Vancouver his home and cherished his time spent in the city as a member of the Canucks.

Upon being signed by the Rangers, Näslund and his family moved to Tarrytown, New York. Following his retirement from the NHL in 2009, they returned to Sweden, where Näslund began coaching his son's minor-league hockey team before he became the general manager of Modo. He participated in the construction of a new house in Örnsköldsvik that his family moved into.

Markus has also ventured into business as a real estate developer.

Philanthropy

In 2002, Näslund and Forsberg founded Icebreakers, an organization that raises money for sick and disabled children in their home region of Västernorrland. A team of Swedish all-stars are annually assembled to host exhibition charity games against varying challengers.

In Vancouver, Näslund ran a program called "Nazzy's Suite 19" that gave underprivileged children the opportunity to watch Canucks games from a private suite in GM Place. Game attendees were chosen through local children's charities. The program was later taken over by Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo and renamed "Lui's Crease Club" after Näslund's departure from Vancouver. Along with other Canucks players, Näslund made regular visits to Canuck Place, a children's hospice that provides specialized care for children with life-threatening illnesses; BC Children's Hospital; and was a contributor to the Canucks For Kids Fund. He also appeared in a public service announcement with BC Children's Hospital, educating provincial viewers on mental health issues.

Following his NHL retirement, he joined the anniversary tour of the NHLPA's Goals and Dreams program, a charity that donates hockey equipment to underprivileged children. Näslund began the tour in Örnsköldsvik before joining former Canucks teammates Jyrki Lumme and Pavel Bure for stops in Helsinki and Moscow, respectively.

Endorsements

At the peak of his career, Näslund signed multiple endorsement deals, most notably with Nike Bauer and Electronic Arts (EA). In 2004, EA Sports selected Näslund to appear on the cover of NHL 2005, EA's yearly hockey video game. He is also on the European cover of NHL 2000.

Career statistics

Awards

Records

International

World Junior Championships' record; most goals, single tournament: 13 (1993)

Vancouver Canucks

All-time hat-tricks: 10 (tied with Tony Tanti)

Longest tenured captain: 8 years (2000–08)

Single-season points by a left wing: 104 (2002–03)

Single-season goals by a left wing: 48 (2002–03)

Single-game goals: 4 (twice; 14 December 2002 vs. Edmonton Oilers; 9 December 2003 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins; tied with 10 others)