Mattias Norlinder Explained

Birth Date:12 April 2000
Birth Place:Kramfors, Sweden
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lbs:185
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
League:NHL
Team:Free agent
Prospect League:AHL
Former Teams:Frölunda HC
Montreal Canadiens
Draft:64th overall
Draft Year:2019
Draft Team:Montreal Canadiens
Career Start:2019

Mattias Norlinder (born 12 April 2000) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 64th overall, by the Canadiens in the 2019 NHL entry draft.

Playing career

Europe

As a youth, Norlinder played junior hockey for Modo Hockey in the J20 SuperElit, winning the 2019 J20 SuperElit championship.[1] [2]

He made his professional debut for Modo in the HockeyAllsvenskan during the 2018–19 season, playing 14 games with two goals and four assists. In March 2019, he signed a one-year professional contract with Modo.[3] In the 2019–20 season, he played 34 games for Modo with seven goals and eleven assists. Despite missing time with a concussion, he was named the best Junior (Guldgallret) in the HockeyAllsvenskan that season.[4] [5]

He was loaned to Frölunda HC in the 2020–21 SHL season, playing 37 games with five goals and five assists after missing time with a shoulder and a knee injury.[6] [7]

North America

Norlinder was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the third round, 64th overall, of the 2019 NHL entry draft. The Canadiens signed Norlinder to a three-year entry-level contract on 3 June 2021.[8] On 6 November 2021, Norlinder made his North American professional debut with the Canadiens' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket, in a 4–0 loss against the Syracuse Crunch.[9] [10] Norlinder made his NHL debut with the Canadiens in a 6–0 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on 18 November 2021.[11] [12] On 27 November 2021, he scored his first NHL point with an assist in a 6–3 win against the Penguins.[13] [14] Having played six games with the Canadiens before returning to the Rocket, Norlinder was later reassigned on loan to continue his development and return to Swedish club, Frölunda HC, for the remainder of the season on 16 December 2021.[15]

Norlinder returned to North America for the 2022–23 season and played in 67 games with the Rocket scoring two goals and 19 points. He was assigned to Laval to begin the 2023–24 season.[16] Norlinder was recalled by Montreal on 21 November 2023 after Jordan Harris suffered a significant injury.[17] However, he saw no playing time with the Canadiens and, after David Savard came back from injury, he was returned to Laval on 10 December.[18]

Prior to the beginning of the NHL free agency period, Norlinder was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Canadiens before the deadline of 30 June 2024, making him an unrestricted free agent.[19]

International play

Norlinder represented Sweden men's national junior ice hockey team at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, winning a bronze medal. He made his senior national team debut at the 2020 Karjala Tournament in the Euro Hockey Tour.[20]

Personal life

Norlinder's younger brother, Linus, is also a hockey player.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2017–18Modo HockeyJ2036851310
2018–19Modo HockeyJ2030516214352466
2018–19Modo HockeyAllsv14246451232
2019–20Modo HockeyAllsv3471118221010
2020–21Frölunda HCSHL3755101273256
2021–22Montreal CanadiensNHL6 0 1 1 2
2021–22Laval RocketAHL6 1 1 2 25 0 1 1 2
2021–22Frölunda HCSHL21 0 2 2 29 0 6 6 8
2022–23Laval RocketAHL67 2 17 19 202 0 0 0 0
2023–24Laval RocketAHL50 2 7 9 26
SHL totals58 5 7 12 1416 3 8 11 14
NHL totals6 0 1 1 2

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2020SwedenWJC70000
2020SwedenKarjala4th20000
Junior totals70000
Senior totals20000

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kournianos. Steve. 27 June 2019. NHL Draft results 2019: Final grades, analysis for all 31 teams. 3 December 2021. The Sporting News.
  2. Web site: Mattias Norlinder. 3 December 2021. Eliteprospects.com.
  3. Web site: Robin. Hedqvist. 3 April 2019. MODO Hockey förlänger med Mattias Norlinder. MODO Hockey extends with Mattias Norlinder. 3 December 2021. Modo Hockey. sv.
  4. Web site: Eriksson. Frank. 4 March 2020. Guldgallret till Mattias Norlinder. Guldgallret for Mattias Norlinder. 3 December 2021. Modo Hockey. sv.
  5. Web site: Hägglund. Per. 4 March 2020. Guldgallret till Mattias Norlinder: "Åh shit, väldigt inspirerande". Mattias Norlinder wins the Guldgallret: "Oh shit, very inspiring". 3 December 2021. Örnsköldsviks Allehanda. sv.
  6. Web site: Cowan. Stu. 17 November 2021. Mattias Norlinder ready to make his NHL debut with Canadiens. 3 December 2021. Montreal Gazette.
  7. Web site: Kymmer. Peter Pettersson. 2020. Nummer 6 för sjuan. Number 6 for the seventh. 3 December 2021. Frölunda HC. sv.
  8. Web site: 3 June 2021 . Three-year, entry-level contract for Mattias Norlinder . Montreal Canadiesn. 3 December 2021. NHL.com.
  9. Web site: 4 November 2021 . Norlinder à Laval . Norlinder in Laval . 3 December 2021. . fr.
  10. Web site: 6 November 2021 . Laval Rocket @ Syracuse Crunch Saturday, November 06, 2021 Game Summary. 3 December 2021 . American Hockey League.
  11. Web site: 17 November 2021. Lines, defense pairings and updates - November 17. 3 December 2021. NHL.com.
  12. Web site: Rorabaugh . Seth . 18 November 2021 . Penguins rout Canadiens as Sidney Crosby gets 1st goal of season . 3 December 2021 . Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  13. Web site: Leijon . Erik . 28 November 2021. About Last Night: Habs win 6-3 with front office in flux . 3 December 2021 . Montreal Gazette.
  14. Web site: 28 November 2021 . Canadiens' Mattias Norlinder: Records first NHL point . 3 December 2021 . CBS Sports.
  15. Web site: Mattias Norlinder loaned to FHC for remainder of season . Montreal Canadiens . 16 December 2021 . 16 December 2021 . NHL.com.
  16. Web site: Canadiens' Mattias Norlinder: Heads to minors . . 9 October 2023 . 5 December 2023.
  17. Web site: Mattias Norlinder recalled from the Laval Rocket . Montreal Canadiens . 21 November 2023 . 5 December 2023 . NHL.com.
  18. Web site: Canadiens' Mattias Norlinder: Dropped to minors . . 10 December 2023 . 15 December 2023.
  19. Web site: More than 60 players enter free agency after NHL's qualifying offer deadline. Sportsnet. 30 July 2024 . 30 June 2024.
  20. Web site: Engels. Eric. 16 September 2021. Canadiens' Norlinder hoping to seize roster spot: 'I'm here to take a place'. 3 December 2021. Sportsnet.