Per Ledin Explained

Birth Date:14 September 1978
Birth Place:Luleå, Sweden
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:194
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
Played For:IF Björklöven
Luleå HF
Färjestads BK
HV71
Colorado Avalanche
EC Red Bull Salzburg
Lausanne HC
Karlskrona HK
Malmö Redhawks
Ntl Team:SWE
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:1998
Career End:2019

Pehr Gunnar Ledin (born September 14, 1978) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey forward. He most notably played with Luleå HF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and enjoyed a brief career in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Avalanche.

Playing career

Ledin is known for his physical style of play and formed during the 2005–06 Elitserien season, together with linemate Emil Kåberg, a duo called The Bruise Brothers.

During 2006 Elitserien finals against the Frölunda Indians, Frölunda's fans started to chant "Kåbergs flickvän heter Per Ledin" ("Kåberg's girlfriend is named Per Ledin). The Bruise Brothers responded by posing for a photo after winning the final, covered in gold paint, presenting the cup and Ledin kissing Kåberg's chin.[1]

Ledin started his professional career at the Swedish club IF Björklöven in the 1997–98 season. That season Björklöven played in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan, and was promoted to the highest league, Elitserien. The following season Björklöven was relegated from Elitserien and after another season with Björklöven in HockeyAllsvenskan, Ledin signed with the Baton Rouge Kingfish in the ECHL. In the middle of the season he returned to Sweden and signed with the Elitserien club Luleå HF. After a few disappointing seasons with Luleå, Ledin got his big breakthrough during the 2004–05 season when he scored 16 goals and 20 assists in 46 games during the regular season. This made the other clubs in Elitseriens interested and in the summer of 2005 he signed for the six times Swedish Champions Färjestads BK. With Ledin's first season with Färjestad the club won its seventh Swedish Championship.

In 2006, Ledin signed a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL, but the contract was rejected by the league due to errors in the contract.[2] Instead, he continued and signed a three-year contract with HV71 in Elitserien.[3] After fulfilling one season with HV71, winning the Swedish Championship, he broke his contract for play in the NHL. He signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche[4] and was assigned to their AHL affiliate the Lake Erie Monsters.[5]

Per spent the majority of the 2008–09 season with the Monsters until on April 8, 2009, when he was recalled to the Avalanche to replace injured Marek Svatos.[6] He made his NHL debut at age 30 on April 9, 2009 in a 3–2 overtime loss at home against the Dallas Stars.[7] He played the remaining three games that were left in the 08-09 season.

On April 29, 2009, Ledin left North America and signed a contract with his previous Swedish club, HV71.[8] Ledin played in a checking role with HV71, claiming his third championship in his first season of his return in the 2009–10 season. After four seasons with HV71, Ledin sought a mutual release from the club, and returned to hometown team, Luleå HF, on a two-year contract on May 23, 2013.[9]

After two season in Luleå, helping the club claim the first edition of the revamped Champions Hockey League, Ledin left Sweden for just the second time in his career, signing a contract with Austrian club Champions, EC Red Bull Salzburg on September 12, 2015.[10] In helping Salzburg become repeat Austrian champions, he contributed with 36 points in 47 games in the EBEL.

On August 18, 2016, he agreed to a one-year contract with Swiss club, Lausanne HC of the National League A (NLA).[11] On January 20, 2017, Ledin was sent down to the HC Red Ice of the National League B (NLB) after appearing in only 9 games (3 points) for Lausanne this season.

International play

Ledin made his international debut in 2005 before finally appearing in his first IIHF tournament in a fourth-placed finish at the 2007 World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Ledin was also a member of the gold medal winning Swedish men's national inline hockey team at the 2007 Men's World Inline Hockey Championships.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
1997–98IF BjörklövenAllsv3110112118
1998–99IF BjörklövenSEL46641032
1999–00IF BjörklövenAllsv37126186541342
2000–01Baton Rouge KingfishECHL27481237
2000–01Luleå HFSEL1810114120006
2001–02Luleå HFSEL500554760008
2002–03Luleå HFSEL50 87157240006
2003–04Luleå HFSEL50691511251128
2004–05Luleå HFSEL4616203694401137
2005–06Färjestads BKSEL468152312318371055
2006–07Färjestads BKSEL5591524148944857
2007–08HV71SEL521617331371725763
2008–09Lake Erie MonstersAHL5811122355
2008–09Colorado AvalancheNHL30002
2009–10HV71SEL4791827116120114
2010–11HV71SEL432685841016
2011–12HV71SEL467142162610118
2012–13HV71SEL55571212951014
2013–14Luleå HFSHL5211162758600012
2014–15Luleå HFSHL419112034910110
2015–16EC Red Bull SalzburgEBEL47132336481935820
2016–17Lausanne HCNLA122462010006
2016–17HC Red IceNLB22022
2017–18Karlskrona HKSHL1401110
2017–18Luleå HFSHL6000020000
2018–19Brooklyn Tigers CityDiv.211340
2018–19 Hockeyettan season2018–19Bodens HFDiv.115671312
2018–19Malmö RedhawksSHL3000220000
SHL totals7201131652781248130151934323
NHL totals30002

International

Awards and honors

AwardYear
SHL
Le Mat Trophy (Färjestads BK)2006
Le Mat Trophy (HV71)2008, 2010

Notes and References

  1. News: PUSS PÅ DIG, ÄLSKLING... . Patrik . Thornéus . Aftonbladet . 2006-04-19 . 2008-06-12 . Swedish . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070608055831/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/sport/story/0,2789,811570,00.html . 2007-06-08 .
  2. News: Ledin blir proffs i NHL . Tomas . Ros . Aftonbladet . Swedish . 2006-06-16 . 2007-04-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070418002519/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/sport/story/0,2789,842306,00.html . 2007-04-18 .
  3. Web site: Per Ledin klar för tre år i HV71 . Daniel . Gustafsson . HV71 . Swedish . 2007-04-13 . 2007-04-14.
  4. Web site: Avalanche Signs Per Ledin . Colorado Avalanche . 2008-07-01 . 2008-07-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080705133942/http://avalanche.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=367351 . 2008-07-05 .
  5. Web site: Breaking down the 2008-09 Monsters roster . Cleveland Live, Inc . Manoloff . Dennis . 2008-10-07 . 2008-10-09.
  6. Web site: Avalanche recalls Ledin. Colorado Avalanche. 2009-04-08. 2009-04-25.
  7. Web site: Ribeiro's dazzling shootout goal lifts Stars over Avs. CBS sports. 2009-04-09. 2009-04-25. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121010063436/http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/gamecenter/recap/NHL_20090409_DAL%40COL. 2012-10-10.
  8. Web site: Per Ledin återvänder till HV71 . (in Swedish) hv71.hockeyligan.se . 2009-04-29 . 2009-04-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090503223019/http://hv71.hockeyligan.se/?contentid=764346198017 . 2009-05-03 .
  9. Web site: Triple champion returns to Luleå . . 2013-05-23 . 2013-05-23 . Swedish.
  10. Web site: Per Ledin commits to Salzburg . . 2015-09-12 . 2015-09-12 . German.
  11. Web site: Lausanne HC signs Per Ledin to a one-year contract . swisshockeynews.ch . 2016-08-18 . 2016-08-16.