Linus Klasen Explained

Linus Klasen
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:8
Weight Lb:176
Ntl Team:SWE
Birth Date:19 February 1986
Birth Place:Stockholm, Sweden
Career Start:2004
Team:Djurgårdens IF
League:Allsv
Former Teams:Södertälje SK
Nashville Predators
Luleå HF
HC Lugano
Draft:Undrafted

Robert Linus Alexander Klasen (born 19 February 1986) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Djurgårdens IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan (Allsv).

Playing career

Klasen started his career with Huddinge IK and has played with Södertälje SK in the Swedish Elitserien. He played 3 games with team Sweden in the 2007–08 season.

On 30 October 2010 Klassen made his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators in an away game against the Detroit Red Wings.[1]

Klasen signed a three-year contract with the Malmö Redhawks of the HockeyAllsvenskan on 17 May 2011. He was immediately appointed the team's captain. The contract included an annual salary of 4 million SEK ($0.6 million USD), making him the best paid ice hockey player in Sweden.[2] He scored 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) in 52 games and helped the team reach a playoff spot. However, due to economical crisis in the Redhawks club, Klasen was forced to leave the club after the 2011–12 season. His contract is being paid out by the Redhawks.[3]

Following the 2011–12 season, Klasen signed a two-year contract with Luleå HF of the Swedish top-tier league Elitserien (SEL) prior to the 2012–13 season.[4] He will keep the same annual salary from Malmö Redhawks during these two years.

After the final year of his contract with Luleå, in which Klasen compiled his most prolific SHL season with 28 goals and 57 points in just 54 games, he left as a free agent to sign a lucrative four-year contract with Swiss club, HC Lugano, of the NLA on 2 April 2014.[5] In his debut season with Lugano in the NLA, Klasen finished second in team scoring with 55 points in 46 games to be selected in the 2014–15 NLA All-Star Team.

After 6 seasons and 265 games with HC Lugano in the NL, Klasen was not offered a contract extension and decided to return to his native Sweden by signing a two-year deal with Luleå HF of the SHL.

On 10 May 2021 Klasen joined EHC Visp of the second tier Swiss League (SL) on a two-year contract.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2004–05Lincoln StarsUSHL26791613
2004–05Huddinge IKAllsv20000
2005–06Huddinge IKDiv.1352240623682111312
2006–07Huddinge IKAllsv44163450288310132
2007–08Södertälje SKSEL5214203424
2008–09Södertälje SKSEL531415298
2009–10Södertälje SKSEL5119325120
2010–11Milwaukee AdmiralsAHL4722234520
2010–11Nashville PredatorsNHL40000
2011–12Malmö RedhawksAllsv5120305024647112
2012–13Luleå HFSEL47101424181448124
2013–14Luleå HFSHL542829574562240
2014–15HC LuganoNLA462035551061450
2015–16HC LuganoNLA491435491815512178
2016–17HC LuganoNLA5011374830111678
2017–18HC LuganoNL431226382430000
2018–19HC LuganoNL31621271810000
2019–20HC LuganoNL468263422
2020–21Luleå HFSHL501428424370662
2021–22EHC VispSL431839574564268
2022–23 Swiss League season2022–23EHC VispSL82101212
SHL totals3079913823716020610164
NHL totals40000

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2014SwedenWC102798
2016SwedenWC6th71120
Senior totals1738118

Inline Hockey

Linus has competed for Sweden at the 2007, 2008 and 2009 IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Klasen Reassigned to Milwaukee. 1 November 2010. predators.nhl.com. Nashville Predators. 1 May 2011.
  2. Web site: Linus Klasen klar för Malmö . . Swedish . 2011-05-17 . 2011-05-17.
  3. Web site: Hugo Stenbeck och Malmö Redhawks eniga . . Martin . Nathalie . Swedish . 2012-05-17 . 2012-05-22 .
  4. Web site: Poängstark forward till Luleå Hockey . . Hedlund . Robert . Swedish . 2012-05-22 . 2012-05-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121019162811/http://luleahockey.se/Nyheter/Poangstark-forward-till-Lulea-Hockey/ . 2012-10-19 .
  5. Web site: The talent and the golden hands of Linus Klasen come to Lugano . . 2014-04-02 . 2014-05-02 . German . dead . https://archive.today/20140402141839/http://www.hclugano.ch/index.cfm?u=home_it&newsDetail=2995&type_news=News_sportive . 2014-04-02 .