| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Naslund was selected 37th overall in the 1979 NHL entry draft . He was the second choice that year of the Montreal Canadiens. After three more years of playing hockey in Sweden, he joined the Canadiens for the 1982-83 NHL season . He was the first European-born player to play for Montreal.
In his rookie season of 1982-83, Naslund recorded 71 points in 74 games, finishing third on the team in scoring behind Guy Lafleur and Ryan Walter . That year, he was recognized as the left winger on the NHL All-Rookie team.
His offensive abilities quickly endeared him to Montreal fans, and he was given the nickname of "Le Petit Viking" (The Little Viking), a reference to his Swedish citizenship and his diminuitive stature.
Naslund's best NHL season came in 1985-86. He recorded 43 goals and 67 assists for 110 points, the first Montreal player to top 100 points since Lafleur in 1979-80, and the last Canadien to reach 100 points as of 2004. His 67 assists were an NHL record for a left winger until Kevin Stevens of the Pittsburgh Penguins recorded 69 in 1991-92. Joe Juneau of the Boston Bruins subsequently recorded 70 assists in 1992-93. In the 1985-86 NHL playoffs , Naslund led all Montreal scorers with 19 points as the Habs won their 23rd Stanley Cup championship, their first since 1979.
During his NHL career, Naslund was an infrequent visitor to the penalty box. Never logging more than 19 penalty minutes in any season during his career, his gentlemanly play was recognized when he was voted the winner of the 1988 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, beating Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky (born January 26, 1961) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, he is known as "The Great One," and considered by many to be the best player of all time. Early Years Taught by his father, Wa in the voting. During the 1988 NHL All-Star Game , his five assists established a record, and he was instrumental in helping Mario LemieuxMario Lemieux (born October 5, 1965 in Montreal, Quebec) is a professional hockey player. Nicknamed "Le Magnifique" and "Super Mario", his surname literally means "the best". He was born on the same day as fellow legend Patrick Roy. Lemieux is 6 ft 4 in ( set the All-Star Game record with six points.
After a subpar 1989-90 season, Naslund left the Canadiens to return to Europe. He played one year in SwitzerlandThe Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in central Europe, with neighbours Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The country has a strong tradition of political and military neutrality, but also of international c, followed by three seasons in his native Sweden. He returned to the NHL to play for the Boston Bruins in the lockout shortened 1994-95 season . He left the NHL permanently after the season ended.
Naslund ranks eleventh on the Canadiens all-time scoring list, with 612 points in 617 regular season games.
Naslund is one of Swedish hockey's all-time great players, and as such represented his country at numerous international tournaments. As a junior, he represented Sweden at the 1978Events January January 1 The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. January 1 Air India's Boeing 747 explodes near Bombay 213 dead. January 4 Referendum in Chile supports policies of Augusto Pinochet. and 1979 World Junior Hockey Championship, winning a silver medal in 1978 and a bronze medal the following year.
Naslund would go on to participate in five World Hockey ChampionshipsThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual event put together by the IIHF, the International Ice Hockey Federation, since 1930. Originally, in Olympic Years, the Championships were decided at the Winter Olympics, except for 1972 and 1976. The last W, winning a bronze in 1979, a silver in 1981Events January-February January Sarawak Chamber found January 1 Greece enters the EEC January 1 Palau becomes self-governing January 4 Sheffield police arrests Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper January 16 Protestant gunmen shoot and wound Bernadette D and a gold in 19911991 like 2002, is a palindromic year. It also has the same calendar as 2002, including Easter on March 31. It is a common year starting on Tuesday. Events January January 2 Sharon Pratt Dixon is sworn in as mayor of Washington, DC becoming the first blac, his last appearance at the event. Because the World Championships occur at the same time as the Stanley Cup playoffs, Naslund was often not available for the event during his years in Montreal. His sole appearance as an active NHL player came in 1983.
Naslund did get the chance to play for Sweden against the NHL's best players at the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cup, the forerunner to the World Cup. The Swedes lost to Canada in the finals of the 1984 event and lost to the USSR in the semi-final game in 1987.
Naslund also participated in two Winter Olympics, in 1980 and 1994. Sweden won the bronze medal in 1980 and the gold medal in 1994, that year defeating Canada in a memorable shootout. The gold medal in 1994 gave Naslund the distinction of having won the Stanley Cup, World Championship and Olympic Championship in his career.