Filip Gustavsson Explained

Filip Gustavsson
Birth Date:7 June 1998
Birth Place:Skellefteå, Sweden
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:184
Position:Goaltender
Catches:Left
League:NHL
Team:Minnesota Wild
Prospect League:AHL
Former Teams:Luleå HF
Ottawa Senators
Ntl Team:SWE
Draft:55th overall
Draft Year:2016
Draft Team:Pittsburgh Penguins
Career Start:2015

Filip Gustavsson (born 7 June 1998) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for Luleå HF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), as well as the Ottawa Senators. Gustavsson was drafted 55th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 NHL entry draft. He became the 15th goaltender in NHL history to score a goaltender goal on 15 October 2024, in the Wild's 4–1 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

Playing career

Gustavsson made his Swedish Hockey League (SHL) debut playing with Luleå HF during the 2015–16 SHL season, on 14 November 2015.[1]

Gustavsson was selected in the second round, 55th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2016 NHL entry draft. On 16 June 2017, Gustavsson signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins.[2] He continued his development on loan in Sweden with Luleå HF through the 2017–18 season.[3]

On 23 February 2018, the Penguins traded Gustavsson to the Ottawa Senators (alongside defenceman Ian Cole, a 2018 first-round pick, and a 2019 third-round pick) in exchange for forward Derick Brassard.[4] On 23 March 2018, Gustavsson was assigned to the Senators American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Belleville Senators, after the conclusion of the SHL season.[3] With the 2020–21 season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, Gustavsson was loaned to Södertälje SK of HockeyAllsvenskan.[5] He went 11–7–0 in 19 appearances before returning to the Senators.[6] On 17 March 2021, Gustavsson made his NHL debut. He entered in relief of Joey Daccord, who departed the game with an injury. Gustavsson stopped all eight shots faced in the 3–2 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks.[7] He made his first career start on 22 March, stopping 35 shots in a 2–1 win over the Calgary Flames. The victory was the first of his NHL career.[8] In the 2021–22 season Gustavsson played in 18 games with Ottawa, starting 16 of them, compiling a record of 5–12–1. He also played in 20 games with Belleville.[9]

On 12 July 2022, Gustavsson was traded by the Senators to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for goaltender Cam Talbot.[9] He started the season as the backup to Marc-André Fleury and got his first NHL shutout on 10 December 2022 in a 3–0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.[10] The Wild made the playoffs and Gustavsson made his NHL playoff debut versus Dallas Stars on 18 April 2023 in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He made 51 saves, setting the Wild franchise playoff record, in a double-overtime 3–2 win.[11] The Wild were eliminated by the Stars in the first round.[12] In the offseason, Gustavsson signed a three-year contract with the Wild.[13] He again split the net with Fleury during the 2023–24 season, starting 43 games for the Wild, but the team failed to make the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.[14]

The Wild entered the 2024–25 season with Fleury and Gustavsson in net, but Fleury declared this to be his last year.[14] On 15 October 2024, Gustavsson became the 15th goaltender in NHL history to score a goaltender goal, the 10th to directly score a goal, and third to do so on a power play, in a 4–1 win over the St. Louis Blues.[15]

International play

Gustavsson was selected to play for Sweden's junior team at the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. He stopped 29 of 31 shots in a 4–2 victory over the United States to get Sweden into the gold medal game in the tournament.[16] In the gold medal game, he let in two goals as the team lost to Canada 3–1 (the third goal was on an empty net). For his play, he was named the tournament's best goaltender and a silver medal.[17] [18] He represented Sweden at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and won a bronze medal. He saved 20 of 22 shots for the 4–2 win over Canada in the bronze medal game.[19]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
Team League GP W L T/OT MIN GA SV%GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2014–15 7 0 5 0 305 20 0 3.94 .884
2015–16 Luleå HF J2020 8 11 0 1155 62 0 3.22 .8931 0 1 60 3 0 3.00 .870
Luleå HF SHL6 4 2 0 359 13 0 2.17 .9101 0 0 1 0 0 0.00 1.000
2016–17 Luleå HF J206 3 3 0 373 13 0 2.09 .9283 1 2 189 3 1 0.95 .967
Luleå HF SHL15 4 10 0 845 38 0 2.70 .9122 0 1 51 3 0 3.53 .885
2017–18 Luleå HF J207 5 2 0 422 12 2 1.71 .925
Luleå HF SHL22 9 11 0 1190 41 3 2.07 .9183 1 1 124 6 0 2.91 .895
AHL7 2 4 0 379 19 0 3.01 .912
Belleville Senators AHL31 12 16 2 1740 98 0 3.38 .887
ECHL2 0 2 0 100 9 0 5.38 .827
Belleville Senators AHL24 15 6 3 1395 75 1 3.23 .889
Allsv19 11 7 0 1123 43 1 2.30 .919
Belleville Senators AHL13 5 7 1 776 37 1 2.86 .910
NHL9 5 1 2 472 17 0 2.16 .933
Ottawa Senators NHL18 5 12 1 1048 62 0 3.55 .892
Belleville Senators AHL20 11 6 1 1082 45 2 2.50 .9152 0 2 155 8 0 3.11 .871
NHL39 22 9 7 2311 81 3 2.10 .9315 2 3 309 12 0 2.33 .921
Minnesota Wild NHL45 20 17 5 2527 129 3 3.06 .899
SHL totals43172302,3949232.31.915612176903.07.893
NHL totals1115240146,35628962.73.9125233091202.33.921

International

YearTeamEventResultGP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2016SwedenU185 3 1 0 289 13 0 2.70 .906
2017SwedenWJC4th1 1 0 0 60 2 0 2.00 .947
2018SwedenWJC6 4 1 0 365 11 0 1.81 .924
2024SwedenWC7 6 1 0 395 14 0 2.13 .903
Junior totals12 8 2 0 714 26 0 2.18 .926
Senior totals7 6 1 0 395 14 0 2.13 .903

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Statistic profile - Filip Gustavsson . . 22 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160113132037/http://shl.se/statistics/profile/gameloggk/2812/2015 . 13 January 2016 . dead .
  2. Web site: Pens sign Goalie Filip Gustavsson to entry-level contract . . 16 June 2017 . 16 June 2017.
  3. Web site: Tidcombe . Matt . Gustavsson assigned to Belleville . Belleville Senators . 23 March 2018 . 22 April 2018.
  4. Web site: Penguins Acquire Derick Brassard in Three-Team Trade with OTT and VGK . Pittsburgh Penguins . 23 February 2018 . 23 February 2018.
  5. The #Sens have loaned goaltender Filip Gustavsson to @SodertaljeSK of @AllsvenskanSE. . 1309914219492630528 . Media_Sens . Sens Communications . 26 September 2020 . 26 September 2020.
  6. Web site: Garrioch . Bruce . Players overseas are starting to make their way back to Ottawa to prepare for 2020-21 campaign . . 12 December 2020 . 12 December 2020.
  7. Web site: Tidcombe . Matt . Sens come back to earn a point against Canucks . . 17 March 2021 . 17 March 2021.
  8. Web site: Tidcombe . Matt . Gustavsson wins first NHL start . Ottawa Senators . 22 March 2021 . 22 March 2021.
  9. Web site: Wild acquires Goaltender Gustavsson from Senators for Cam Talbot . . 12 July 2022 . 12 July 2022.
  10. Web site: Filip Gustavsson earns first career shutout as Minnesota Wild defeat Canucks 3-0 . The Globe and Mail . Morris . Jim . The Canadian Press . 11 December 2022 . 5 July 2023.
  11. Web site: Gustavsson regains composure, sets Wild saves record in Game 1 . National Hockey League . Myers . Tracey . 18 April 2023 . 5 July 2023.
  12. Web site: Another first-round exit for Wild feels like a 'broken record': 'We failed them' . The Athletic . Smith . Joe . 29 April 2023 . 5 July 2023.
  13. Web site: Minnesota Wild Re-Signs Filip Gustavsson to a Three-Year Contact . Minnesota Wild . NHL.com . 31 July 2023 . 16 October 2024.
  14. Web site: Wild season preview: Goalie split, scoring depth keys for return to playoffs . National Hockey League . Satriano . David . 23 September 2024 . 16 October 2024.
  15. Web site: Gustavsson scores on PP, becoming the first Wild goalie to score . TSN . Associated Press . 15 October 2024 . 16 October 2024.
  16. Web site: Sweden beats USA, to face Canada in final . USA Today . Associated Press . 4 January 2018 . 16 October 2024.
  17. Web site: Goalie Filip Gustavsson embracing opportunity at Senators rookie camp . Lethbridge News Now . The Canadian Press . 7 September 2018 . 16 October 2024.
  18. Web site: Late goal by Steenbergen lifts Canada to world-junior gold over Sweden . Traikos . Michael . National Post . 6 January 2018 . 16 October 2024.
  19. Web site: Grundstrom powers Sweden past Canada to win bronze at hockey worlds . CBC Sports . The Canadian Press . 26 May 2024 . 16 October 2024.