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 Centre/Left Wing
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 San Jose Sharks
Djurgårdens IF
NHL Draft 7th overall, 2021
San Jose Sharks
Playing career 2020–present

William Eklund (born 12 October 2002) is a Swedish ice hockey forward playing with 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 Djurgården.[1]

Playing career

Eklund made his debut in the Swedish Hockey League 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 2021, 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 2021.[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 Swedish roster for the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He tested positive for COVID-19, preventing him from joining the final roster for the tournament.[9]

Eklund made his debut with the Swedish national ice hockey team on 28 April 2021 in a friendly game against Denmark. He scored one goal and made one assist.[10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2018–19 Djurgårdens IF J20 13 1 2 3 6 8 2 4 6 0
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF J20 31 12 24 36 22 — — — — —
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF SHL 20 0 2 2 4 — — — — —
2020–21 Djurgårdens IF SHL 40 11 12 23 2 3 1 1 2 2
2021–22 San Jose Sharks NHL 9 0 4 4 2 — — — — —
2021–22 Djurgårdens IF SHL 29 1 13 14 4 — — — — —
2022–23 San Jose Barracuda AHL 54 17 24 41 43 — — — — —
2022–23 San Jose Sharks NHL 8 2 1 3 6 — — — — —
SHL totals 89 12 27 39 10 3 1 1 2 2
NHL totals 17 2 5 7 8 — — — — —

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2019 Sweden HG18 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 1 2 3 2
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. ↑ "Columbus Blue Jackets - San Jose Sharks - March 14th, 2023 NHL.com". National Hockey League. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  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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