Johan Garpenlov
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johan Garpenlöv (born March 21, 1968 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a former National Hockey League left wings. He also starred for several years in his native Sweden. He was drafted in the fifth round, 85th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.
The Stockholm native began with the Nacka HK squad in the second division and represented Sweden at the European Junior Championships in 1985 and 1986. He joined the prestigious Djurgårdens IF club of Elitserien in 1986-87 and helped them win consecutive championships in 1989 and 1990. Garpenlov also played on the Swedish squad which won the bronze medal at the 1987 World Junior Championships, and he competed at the 1988 tournament as well.
A few months after aiding Sweden's silver medal performance at the 1990 World Championships, Garpenlov made his NHL debut with the Red Wings. He scored 39 points as a rookie in the 1990-91 season, including a four-goal game against the St. Louis Blues on November 23, 1990. After the season, he notched four goals at the 1991 Ice Hockey World Championships to help his country win the gold medal.
During the 1991-92 season, Garpenlöv was traded to the San Jose Sharks. Following the season, Garpenlöv was a member of Sweden's World Championship team for the second consecutive year. Garpenlov scored 22 goals for the Sharks in the 1992-93 season. In 1993-94, he and his linemates, Sergei Makarov and Igor Larionov, helped the club come within a game of reaching the Western Conference Finals.
In March 1995, Garpenlöv was traded to the Florida Panthers for future considerations. In 1995-96, he scored a personal-high 23 goals and was a part of the third year club's remarkable drive to the Stanley Cup final. Garpenlov battled injuries over the next three seasons. Then, in the 1999 NHL Expansion Draft, he was claimed by the expansion Atlanta Thrashers and was a member of the club for its inaugural season in 1999-2000.
Prior to the 2000-01 campaign, Garpenlov brought his NHL tenure to an end and returned to Sweden to play for Djurgårdens.
