Modo Hockey At age 15, Näslund played a season with Örnsköldsviks SK in Sweden's third-tier men's league. Appearing in 14 games, he scored 7 goals and 13 points. The following season, in 1989–90, Näslund joined the Modo Hockey organization, playing in Sweden's highest-level junior league, the
J20 SuperElit, where he and Peter Forsberg skated together on one of the most productive
lines in the league. The pair helped Modo to win back-to-back junior championships. After a season of junior, in 1990–91 Näslund joined Modo's professional team in the Elitserien, Sweden's premiere league. The Modo equipment manager designated him with the jersey number 19, which Näslund thereafter opted to wear with the Swedish national teams he played on. He recorded 10 goals and 19 points in his rookie season, In the off-season, Näslund was drafted 16th overall in the
1991 NHL entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Näslund remained in Sweden with Modo for two more years, recording a team-leading 39 points in 1991–92. He matched that points total the following season before helping Modo to the quarterfinals of the Elitserien playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguins Following the 1992–93 season, his contract with Modo expired on 30 April 1993, and he had not yet come to terms with the Penguins. According to the
collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NHL and
NHL Players Association (NHLPA), he was entitled to
free agency within the league, beginning on 1 July. The case went to a federal judge in
Newark, New Jersey, who ruled in favour of Näslund on 29 June. League president and lawyer
Gil Stein released an
affidavit stating the NHL-Swedish agreement did not apply to Näslund, as he was not under contract with any Swedish team. Five days later, he registered his first NHL point, an assist, during a game against the
Quebec Nordiques. Upon entering the NHL, Näslund struggled and was admittedly frustrated with himself. As a result, he was demoted to the Penguins'
International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate, the
Cleveland Lumberjacks, on several occasions. He finished his rookie campaign with four goals and seven assists in 71 games. The
following season, shortened due to the
1994–95 labour dispute, he continued to split playing time between the NHL and IHL. In 14 games with Pittsburgh, he scored two goals and four points, while recording seven points in seven games with Cleveland. referring to his ability to show promise before struggling once the season began. Due to the departures of All-Star left-wingers
Kevin Stevens and
Luc Robitaille from the Penguins, Näslund had an opportunity for a more prominent role with the club in 1995–96. He showed an immediate improvement, starting the season with 36 points in 29 games. He recorded his first NHL career
hat-trick on 28 November 1995 in a 7–2 win over the
Ottawa Senators. However, his production slowed later in the season; he was scratched on several occasions and was demoted to the third and fourth lines by February.
Vancouver Canucks 1996–2000: Trade to Vancouver and captaincy In the final year of his contract with Pittsburgh, he was the subject of trade rumours. Stojanov, who had been drafted eight spots ahead of Näslund in the 1991 Draft, went on to play 45 games, scoring two goals and four assists for the Penguins over the next two seasons. He became a career minor-leaguer and retired by age 29, while Näslund would eventually play 884 games with the Canucks in 12 seasons. Näslund made his debut with the team two days following the trade against the
Dallas Stars. He finished the regular season with a combined 22 goals and 55 points over 76 games between Pittsburgh and Vancouver. Colorado won 3–2 to eliminate Vancouver in six games. Näslund switched his jersey number back to 19 from his time with Modo, as Hunter left the team. He finished the year with 14 goals and 34 points over 76 games. At mid-season, he was named to his first
NHL All-Star Game, held in January 1999. resulting in him being awarded the
Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the Canucks' most valuable player—his first of five during his tenure with Vancouver— as well as his first of two of the team's annual
Most Exciting Player Awards (he received his second two years later). In the off-season, he was re-signed by the Canucks to a three-year, $7.2 million contract. During the Canucks'
2000–01 training camp in Sweden, Näslund was named
team captain on 15 September 2000. Näslund has cited Messier as his greatest playing influence, having played alongside him the previous three seasons. In his first year as team captain, Näslund continued to improve offensively and was named to his second
NHL All-Star Game, held in February 2001. His 41 goals at the time of the injury were tied for third in the league, while his 75 points ranked in 11th place. Without Näslund in the lineup, the Canucks finished the season with the eighth and final seed in the
Western Conference, but were swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche in four games. Näslund formed a new core that included Bertuzzi,
Brendan Morrison,
Ed Jovanovski and
Mattias Öhlund. He recalls "grow[ing] up together in the early 2000s" with this group of players as his "fondest memory" in the NHL. He returned from his injury in
2001–02 and improved to 40 goals and 90 points, which ranked second in the league behind
Jarome Iginla. The 2001–02 campaign marked the beginning of what was widely considered the most effective line combination in the league for several seasons. Näslund and Bertuzzi had already formed a duo as wingers on the Canucks' top line for more than two seasons when head coach
Marc Crawford replaced
centre Andrew Cassels with Brendan Morrison during a game on 9 January 2002. He was later chosen to represent the World Team at the
2002 NHL All-Star Game in Los Angeles and scored the game-winning goal in an 8–5 victory over the North American team. The Canucks finished the season with the eighth seed in the Western Conference for the second straight year, resulting in a first-round playoff match-up with the
Detroit Red Wings. It was Näslund's first appearance in the post-season since his initial year with the Canucks in 1996. He was limited to a goal and an assist as Vancouver was eliminated by a Detroit side captained by the legendary
Steve Yzerman and backstopped by perennial All-Star and future Hall of Famer
Dominic Hasek. The Canucks fell in six games, despite winning the opening two games of the series. In the off-season, Näslund received
NHL first team All-Star honours as the league's top left-winger. He also finished fifth in
Hart Memorial Trophy balloting. Näslund's linemates also produced career seasons as Bertuzzi recorded 97 points, which ranked fifth in league scoring, while Morrison tallied 71. On 14 December, he scored a career-high four goals in a 6–3 win over the Edmonton Oilers, tying a Canucks record for most goals in a single game. Näslund scored a goal in the first shootout in All-Star Game history to help the Western Conference defeat the
Eastern Conference 6–5. He was joined on the All-Star squad by three other Canucks – Bertuzzi, Ed Jovanovski and head coach Marc Crawford. The win extended the Canucks' franchise record unbeaten streak to 14 games. On 27 March, he recorded an assist in a 5–1 win against the
Phoenix Coyotes for his 100th point of the season, becoming the third Canuck to reach the plateau after Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny. (right) were joined by
Brendan Morrison (not pictured) to form the "West Coast Express" line. On the last day of the 2002–03 regular season, the Canucks lost the
Northwest Division title to the Colorado Avalanche through a defeat against the Los Angeles Kings. Qualifying for the
2003 playoffs, Vancouver won its first-round matchup against the St. Louis Blues in seven games after trailing the series three games to one. Näslund scored a goal in the deciding game to help the Canucks advance. as well as the first Canucks player. He finished as first runner-up to Forsberg, receiving five first-place ballots out of 62 compared to Forsberg's 38. Näslund also received both the Viking Award and First Team All-Star honours for the second time. while his 35 goals was seventh. His even-strength points topped the league at 58. It marked, however, the beginning of a consistent decline in offensive production for the remainder of his NHL career. but returned to score his second career four-goal game, scoring all the Canucks' goals in a 4–3 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, on 9 December 2003. At mid-season, he was selected as team captain for the Western Conference at the
2004 NHL All-Star Game in
Minnesota. On 16 February 2004, during a game against the Colorado Avalanche, Näslund received a body-check to the head from opposing forward
Steve Moore. He also suffered a hyper-extended elbow when he fell to the ice, which he played with through the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. Moore's hit went unpenalized and several Canucks players vowed to exact revenge when the Canucks and Avalanche were set to play each other again on 8 March. Moore suffered career-ending injuries and Bertuzzi was suspended indefinitely by the league. A close friend of Bertuzzi's, Näslund was deeply affected by the incident, as subsequent lawsuits and public scrutiny negatively impacted Bertuzzi's career. Several years later, Näslund stated, "It still bothers me what Todd has had to go through...There's no question he was standing up for me...it all went too far." Despite the absence of Bertuzzi for the remainder of the season, Näslund led the Canucks to the Northwest Division title they had lost the previous season. Bertuzzi was replaced on the top line by
Matt Cooke. The Canucks' division title placed them third in the Western Conference standings, matching them against the sixth-placed Calgary Flames in the opening round of the
2004 playoffs. In the seventh and deciding game of the series between the two teams, the Canucks faced a one-goal deficit in the final minute of regulation time. Despite the effort, Calgary subsequently eliminated Vancouver a minute-and-a-half into the subsequent overtime period on a powerplay goal. Näslund finished the playoffs with nine points in seven games. At the end of the campaign, he received his second consecutive and third career Viking Award and First Team All-Star mention. During the
NHL labour conflict, he returned to play for Modo Hockey of the Elitserien in
2004–05. Näslund announced his return in mid-January in order to meet the 31 January player-transfer deadline for European clubs, joining Canucks teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin, as well as former Modo teammate Peter Forsberg on the squad. while Näslund later reasoned that he preferred to be readily available for the NHL, just in case the league and NHLPA could come to an agreement and the season was salvaged. Näslund went on to appear in 13 games, scoring 17 points. opener
Post-lockout As NHL play was set to resume for the
2005–06 season, Näslund became an unrestricted free agent. On the open market for several days, he re-signed with the Canucks for three more years on 3 August 2005, at $6 million per season. At the time, Näslund said he hoped to retire as a Canuck. For a franchise-record seventh consecutive season, he led the Canucks in scoring, with 32 goals and 79 points. Despite new NHL rules set in place after the lockout that sought to allow skilled players such as Näslund and his linemates to thrive, all three members of the Canucks' top line saw decreased offensive production in 2005–06. Furthermore, the Canucks failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, finishing at ninth place in the Western Conference, despite early-season projections to be Stanley Cup contenders. Crawford later recalled the 2005–06 season as a turning point in Näslund's role as the offensive leader on the team, noting that Henrik and Daniel Sedin had surpassed him and Bertuzzi in that respect as the campaign progressed. Facing significant changes in the
2006–07 season, Näslund's points total continued to decrease. He began the season by scoring his 300th goal as a Canuck during the team's home-opener against the San Jose Sharks on 14 October 2006. He soon surpassed Linden with his 301st goal against the Edmonton Oilers on 17 October. He completed the season with 60 points, his lowest output since 1997–98. In the
2007 post-season, Näslund contributed five points before the team was eliminated by the
Anaheim Ducks in the Conference Semifinals. In
2007–08, Näslund set several more career marks. On 21 November 2007, Näslund tied the Canucks' franchise record of 10 hat-tricks with a three-goal game against the Minnesota Wild, a 4–2 win for Vancouver. Several games later, on 5 December, Näslund became the Canucks' franchise leading point-scorer, assisting on defenceman Mattias Öhlund's goal and passing Linden with 725 points. Playing parts of the season on a line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, he recorded 25 goals and 55 points. Furthermore, since Bertuzzi's departure in the summer of 2006, Vigneault placed Näslund on inconsistent line combinations, often with career minor-leaguers. While he did not rule out the possibility of returning to Vancouver, he sold his Vancouver home and described his return as questionable.
New York Rangers series against the Washington Capitals Näslund signed a two-year, $8 million contract, including a $1 million signing bonus, with the New York Rangers on 3 July 2008. He left Vancouver as the franchise's all-time leader in goals and points with 346 and 756, respectively. General manager
Mike Gillis, who formerly acted as Näslund's agent, released a statement on behalf of the Canucks organization, commending him as "one of the greatest athletes to ever represent the Canucks both on and off of the ice". On 3 October, Näslund was named an
alternate captain for the Rangers. The next day, he scored his first goal as a Ranger during the season-opener in
Prague, Czech Republic, a 2–1 win against the
Tampa Bay Lightning. In his only season with the Rangers, Näslund led the team in scoring with 24 goals and was fourth in points with 46. He added three points in the playoffs, Following the Rangers' defeat, he announced his retirement from the NHL on 4 May 2009, at the age of 35. Näslund had informed Rangers general manager
Glen Sather, head coach
John Tortorella, and his teammates of his intention to retire prior to the team's playoff elimination. Näslund retired from the NHL second among all-time Swedish players with 395 goals (behind
Mats Sundin's 564; he retired the same year). His 869 points ranked fifth, while his 1,117 games played ranked fourth.
Return to Modo and retirement Näslund returned to Sweden with his family in the summer of 2009. During this time, Peter Forsberg was attempting a return to the NHL for the
2009–10 season, playing with Modo and the Swedish national team for conditioning purposes. Weighing in on Forsberg's possible NHL return, Näslund speculated that Forsberg would remain in Sweden to continue playing for Modo. Several days later, Canucks general manager
Mike Gillis confirmed Näslund's speculation, asserting that Forsberg intended on finishing the season with Modo. The following day, on 17 November 2009, Näslund announced he was coming out of retirement to join Forsberg with Modo for the remainder of the
2009–10 Elitserien season. Näslund played in his first game back with Modo on 28 November, 11 days after the announcement, registering an assist on the first goal of the game by Forsberg. He scored his first goal since his return on 8 December in a 4–1 win over
HV71. On 27 February, he notched a hat-trick against Färjestad BK in a 10–3 win. Playing in 29 of Modo's 55 games, Näslund scored at a point-per-game pace with 10 goals and 19 assists. Näslund confirmed his second retirement following the campaign. At the start of the
2010–11 NHL season, the NHL and NHLPA honoured Näslund with a tribute and ceremonial puck drop prior to a game held in
Stockholm, Sweden, between the San Jose Sharks and
Columbus Blue Jackets. Several months later, the Canucks retired his number 19 jersey prior to a home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on 11 December 2010. Attending the on-ice ceremony were his wife, three children, parents and sister, as well as former Canucks teammates, coaches and executives. The night included a video tribute highlighting his hockey career, speeches from team personalities and gift presentations from the organization. In honour of Näslund and his wife's past philanthropy in the Vancouver community, the team also announced the establishment of a sports equipment centre for underprivileged children. Prior to the jersey raising, Näslund thanked those involved in his career. Reflecting on his career, he commented, "Young hockey players from northern Sweden never dream of a night like this...To go from sitting up in the press box as a healthy scratch to be standing here in front of you is quite amazing." By having his jersey retired, he became the third player in team history to receive the honour, after Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden. ==International play==