Eric Ersberg: career hockey player, game statistics, photo

Eric Ersberg for 17 years, built a career as a hockey player. The goalkeeper, nicknamed "The Swedish Wall" played in seven different teams and was a member of the national team of Sweden. This year, he announced his retirement from professional hockey.

The beginning of sports career

Thirty-four years ago, on March 8, Eric Ersberg, a hockey player from Sweden and a free agent, was born. He was born in the city of Sala. From an early age began to get involved in sports, attended training in hockey. Growth of the goalkeeper - 1 m 82 cm, weight - 74 kg. For his stamina and ability to beat complex shots received two nicknames: "Iceberg" and "Swedish Wall".

At the age of 17, Eric Ersberg became a member of the Västerås team, which played in Sweden's second most powerful division. As part of the club, the hockey player played until 2005. Then he signed a contract with the team from Jonkoping "ХВ-71" and got to the Higher League of the Swedish championship. In 2006, he took the position of the main goalkeeper.

In the same season, the hockey player was taken to the national team for matches in two tournaments (the Karjala Cup and the First Channel Cup). It was Erik's debut appearance in Sweden's national team. In 2007, the player earned his first prize, on March 22 he was awarded as the best goalkeeper of the country's trophy trophy Honken Trophy. And already at the end of May there was news about the departure of Ersberg from "ХВ-71". He received an offer from the American team "Los Angeles Kings". But after coming to California in 2007, the hockey player was taken to the Manchester Monarchs, with which he played a whole season in the US HL.

Successful debut in the NHL

In 2008, Erik Ersberg replaced the goalie "Kings" Dan Cloutier in the NHL on a franchise basis in a battle with HC "Chicago Blackhawks." The Swedish hockey player stood firmly on the gate and repulsed 18 shots out of 19. For a brand new player it was an amazing result. So Ersberg in the "Kings" played more than 50 matches in three seasons of the NHL. He spoke under number 31. In 2010, the Swedish hockey player was redirected to Manchester, but Eric did not want to remain in this team anymore. On his initiative, the contract was broken.

Transition to the Russian team, game statistics

Further Ersberg's career continued in the KHL in the hockey club from Ufa "Salavat Yulaev". With the arrival of this team, he almost instantly took the position of the main goalkeeper, he was assigned the 40th number.

As a result of the 2010-2011 season Eric Ersberg became the owner of the Gagarin Cup. Statistics of the Swedish hockey player's games for the first year in "Salavat" was as follows: 18 matches in the regular season (out of 476 shots reflected 441) and 20 in the playoffs (out of 541 attacks repelled 505). Its reliability factor for the two seasons totaled over 90%.

In 2011, following the KHL results, the goalkeeper was awarded a prestigious prize among Russian hockey players - the Golden Helmet. Also this year Erik Ersberg defended the honor of the Swedish national team at the World Cup and won a silver medal. In the spring of 2012, by agreement between the two sides, the contract between the Russian team and the goalkeeper was terminated.

The final stage in the career of a hockey player

In May 2012, Eric becomes a player of the Ukrainian HC "Donbass", which included 21 matches in the KHL during one season, his reliability factor was 91.2%. Then, October 11, 2013, go to "Iserlohn Rusters" (Germany) and participates in the German hockey league in regular championships and playoffs. May 25, 2014 goalkeeper returns to the already familiar to him the team from Jonkoping "ХВ-71". He takes part in the Swedish Championships. Eric Ersberg for two seasons managed to spend only thirty games.

For the career of a hockey player in the NHL and the KHL (from 1999 to 2016), the goalkeeper appeared on the ice in 315 matches. As a result, he was able to repel 5,882 throws rivals from 6611. Almost throughout the sports career, Erik Ersberg was worried about a chronic back injury. Due to unbearable pain in 2016, he decided to leave professional hockey soon.