Jakob Lilja Explained

Jakob Lilja
Birth Date:23 July 1993
Birth Place:Limhamn, Sweden
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:194
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
League:NL
Team:HC Ambrì-Piotta
Former Teams:Rögle BK
Linköping HC
Djurgårdens IF
Columbus Blue Jackets
Barys Nur-Sultan
Dynamo Moscow
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2011

Jakob Lilja (born 23 July 1993) is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for HC Ambrì-Piotta of the National League (NL).

Playing career

Lilja made his Elitserien (now the SHL) debut playing with Rögle BK during the 2012–13 Elitserien season.[1] In the 2018–19 season, Lilja registered 12 goals and 25 assists for a career high 37 points in 52 games with Djurgårdens IF. Leading the club and finishing tied 8th in the SHL in assists, and 10th in points, he added 8 points in 19 playoff games to help reach the SHL finals.

Having made 222 appearances in the top flight SHL, Lilja gained the interest of NHL clubs as an undrafted free agent. He later agreed to pursue a North American career with the Columbus Blue Jackets, signing a one-year, entry-level contract on June 15, 2019.[2]

In his first North American season in 2019–20, Lilja made the Blue Jackets opening night roster out of training camp and made his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 4 October 2019.[3] Given a role on the fourth-line, Lilja appeared in 37 games over the course of the regular season, registering 2 goals and 5 points. He split the season with AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, notching 13 points through 25 contests.

After receiving permission by the Blue Jackets to find a new team during the suspension of the NHL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lilja went to play in Kazakhstan after he was signed to a one-year deal with Kazakh club, Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL, on 24 June 2020.[4]

Lilya played two seasons with Barys Nur-Sultan before continuing in the KHL on a two-year contract with Russian based club, HC Dynamo Moscow, on 1 August 2022.[5] In the 2022–23 season, Lilja matched his previous season totals in notching 13 goals and 14 assists fro 27 points in his lone season with Dynamo Moscow.

As a free agent, Lilja left the KHL in the off-season and was signed to a two-year contract with Swiss club, HC Ambrì-Piotta of the NL, on 1 June 2023.[6]

Assault case

On March 5, 2015 Lilja, while with Rögle BK in Allsvenskan, cross-checked Malmö Redhawks player Jens Olsson from behind in the neck, for which he earned a 10-game suspension. The incident was later brought up in court on an assault charge where on July 10, 2018 the Supreme Court of Sweden, after the case had first gone through the lower District Court of Malmö, handed Lilja a one-month probation sentence.[7]

Career statistics

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
2009–10Sunne IKDiv.130000
2010–11Rögle BKJ20391213251830000
2011–12Rögle BKJ20208132116
2011–12Rögle BKAllsv232246100002
2012–13Rögle BKJ201110212620112
2012–13Rögle BKSEL291014
2012–13IF Troja/LjungbyAllsv100222
2013–14Rögle BKAllsv471572210803312
2014–15Rögle BKAllsv5123123528410125
2015–16Linköping HCSHL52121123860000
2016–17Linköping HCSHL49115163160000
2017–18Linköping HCSHL401210221073250
2018–19Djurgårdens IFSHL5212253718193586
2019–20Columbus Blue JacketsNHL372352
2019–20AHL2258132
2020–21Barys Nur-SultanKHL59201535861010
2021–22Barys Nur-SultanKHL47161127252130
2022–23Dynamo MoscowKHL521314271461340
SHL totals222485199713867136
NHL totals372352
KHL totals15849408924174480

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2012–13 Rögle BK player statistics. Eliteprospects.com . 2013-04-05 . 2013-04-05.
  2. Web site: Blue Jackets sign Jakob Lilja . . 15 June 2019 . 15 June 2019.
  3. Web site: Marner has two goals, assist, in win over Blue Jackets . . 4 October 2019 . 4 October 2019.
  4. Web site: Jakob Lilja: Signs KHL deal. 24 June 2020. . 24 June 2020 . en.
  5. Web site: Jakob Lilja to Dynamo . . 1 August 2022 . 1 August 2022 . Russian.
  6. Web site: Termination with Chlapik; Lilja and Dauphin are coming . . 1 June 2023 . 1 June 2023 . French .
  7. https://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/sweden-supreme-court-rules-ice-hockey-players-cross-check-constitutes-assault-not-excused-as-part-of-game/ "Sweden: Supreme Court Rules Ice Hockey Player’s Cross-Check Constitutes Assault, Not Excused as Part of Game"