Topic: Mattias Ohlund

Mattias Öhlund (born September 9, 1976) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Prior to joining the Lightning, he played eleven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Öhlund played two seasons in the Swedish Allsvenskan, the second highest tier of hockey in Sweden, with Piteå HC before being selected by the Canucks thirteenth overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft; he then joined Luleå HF of the Elitserien, the highest league in Sweden, winning the Le Mat Trophy as league champions in 1996. He began his NHL career with Vancouver in 1997–98, the start of an eleven-year tenure with the club. A serious eye injury before his third NHL season was the first of many injuries Öhlund has sustained over his career, and he has only played a full season twice in eleven years. A four-time winner of the Babe Pratt Trophy as the team's best defenceman, Öhlund is the Canucks' all-time leading goal and point-scorer among defencemen.

Internationally, Öhlund has represented Sweden in numerous tournaments, beginning with three World Junior Championships that included Best Defenceman honours as part of a silver medal effort in 1996. He has since competed in three World Championships, earning gold in 1998, and three Winter Olympics, earning gold in 2006.

Öhlund began his playing career with Piteå HC in his hometown, playing two seasons with the team. As a large, mobile defenceman, he was heavily scouted by scouts from several NHL teams during his final season with Piteå. He was the Vancouver Canucks' first pick, thirteenth overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Rather than join the Canucks, Öhlund stayed in Sweden as a result of a dispute over his contract with the team. He joined a new team, Luleå HF of the top Swedish league, the Elitserien. In his first season in the premier league in Sweden, Öhlund scored 16 points in 34 games. The following season Öhlund had 14 points in 38 games as Luleå won the Le Mat Trophy as champions of the Elitserien, their first league championship. Appearing in 47 games with Luleå during the 1996–97 season, Öhlund scored seven goals and had an additional nine assists.