Mikael Bo Renberg (born 5 May 1972) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player, last playing for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien. He spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and eight in the Swedish Elite League.

Mikael Renberg
Born (1972-05-05) 5 May 1972 (age 52)
Piteå, Sweden
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 235 lb (107 kg; 16 st 11 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Left
Played for Luleå HF
Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Phoenix Coyotes
Toronto Maple Leafs
Skellefteå AIK
National team  Sweden
NHL draft 40th overall, 1990
Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career 1990–2009
Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Men's ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1998 Switzerland
Silver medal – second place 1993 Germany
Silver medal – second place 2003 Finland
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Germany
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 1992 Germany

Playing career

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Renberg began his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him 40th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He set the Flyers' club record for most points in a season scored by a rookie with 82 points (38 goals and 44 assists) in 83 games. Renberg played with them for four seasons and in Philadelphia he became popular with fans for playing on the formidable "Legion of Doom" line with John LeClair and Eric Lindros. Renberg, and the top line helped the team to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, where they were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.

After the Stanley Cup run the Flyers offered restricted free agent Chris Gratton a five-year, $16.5M contract which Gratton's former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, declined to match. Under the NHL's free agency rules the Flyers had to compensate the Lightning with four first-round picks in future NHL Entry Drafts. Seeking to reacquire the four draft picks Renberg was traded to the Lightning with Karl Dykhuis, and was immediately named the Lightning's captain. 16 months later the teams would virtually undo the trade, sending Renberg back to Philadelphia with Daymond Langkow for Gratton and Mike Sillinger. Renberg played parts of two more seasons for the Flyers until he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Rick Tocchet a few days before the 2000 NHL trade deadline. He finished the 1999–2000 season with the Coyotes then returned to Sweden to play for Luleå HF. After one season in Sweden he returned to the NHL by signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After three seasons in Toronto, Renberg once again returned to play for Luleå HF to be close to his family.[1] After captaining Luleå from 2005 to 2007, he moved onto nearby rival Skellefteå AIK (SAIK). After two seasons with SAIK, Renberg decided to retire due to persistent groin injury problems that cut his final season short.[2]

International play

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Renberg's first international experience came at the European Junior Championship, in which he helped Sweden secure a gold medal by scoring 7 goals in 6 game against Europe's top competition. Renberg next wore the three crowns in the 1992 World Juniors and scored six goals and four assists, playing with future NHL stars Peter Forsberg, Michael Nylander, and Markus Näslund. Renberg finished fourth in the scoring behind his three aforementioned countrymen. Despite the high offensive output of the Swedes, they only returned home with a silver medal.

After graduating out of junior, Renberg represented Sweden again at the 1993 World Championships (WC). He continued his torrid international pace by being named to the tournaments' all-star team after netting 5 goals and 3 assists in 8 games. However, like before, Renberg and Sweden again went home with silver.

Prior to 1998 professionals could not participate in the Olympics. As Renberg was in the NHL he could not partake in Team Sweden's gold medal over Canada at the 1994 games in Lillehammer. But for the 1998 Olympics held in Nagano, Japan, Renberg was named to the team to defend its gold and was assigned to play on the first line with friends and countrymen Peter Forsberg and Daniel Alfredsson. Renberg tallied a goal and two assist in Sweden's four game, as the Swedish roster finished in fifth place at the 1998 Olympics playing against older teams in the Canadians, Americans, and Russians.

Renberg would continue representing his country in international tournaments throughout his career. After the Olympic disappointment, at the 1998 WC, Renberg and the Swedes won the gold medal, the first for their country since 1992. Renberg final two WC's were in 2001 and 2003, with the 2001 team taking Renberg home a bronze medal. Renberg's second and final try at the Olympics in 2002 held in Salt Lake City, United States. Again, despite countryman Mats Sundin leading the Olympics in scoring, Renberg and the Swedes went home empty-handed as fifth-place finishers. Unfortunately, Renberg was not a part of the team at the 2006 Olympics where his countrymen led by Nicklas Lidström and Henrik Lundqvist reached the promised land once more to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Records and milestones

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Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1988–89 Piteå HC SWE II 12 6 3 9
1989–90 Piteå HC SWE II 29 15 19 34
1989–90 Luleå HF SEL 2 1 0 1 0
1990–91 Luleå HF SEL 29 11 6 17 12 5 1 1 2 4
1991–92 Luleå HF SEL 38 8 15 23 20 2 0 0 0 0
1992–93 Luleå HF SEL 39 19 13 32 61 11 4 4 8 4
1993–94 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 83 38 44 82 36
1994–95 Luleå HF SEL 10 9 4 13 16
1994–95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 47 26 31 57 20 15 6 7 13 6
1995–96 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 51 23 20 43 45 11 3 6 9 14
1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 77 22 37 59 65 18 5 6 11 4
1997–98 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 68 16 22 38 34
1998–99 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 20 4 8 12 4
1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 46 11 15 26 14 6 0 0 0 0
1999–00 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 62 8 21 29 30
1999–00 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 10 2 4 6 2 5 1 2 3 4
2000–01 Luleå HF SEL 48 22 32 54 36 11 6 5 11 35
2001–02 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 71 14 38 52 36 3 0 0 0 2
2002–03 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 67 14 21 35 36 7 1 0 1 8
2003–04 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 59 12 13 25 50 2 0 0 0 4
2004–05 Luleå HF SEL 22 6 5 11 16
2005–06 Luleå HF SEL 44 15 19 34 32 5 0 0 0 10
2006–07 Luleå HF SEL 48 18 32 50 34
2007–08 Skellefteå AIK SEL 41 13 20 33 30 5 0 1 1 4
2008–09 Skellefteå AIK SEL 21 3 3 6 16 11 0 0 0 2
SEL totals 342 125 149 274 273 54 11 14 25 59
NHL totals 661 190 274 464 372 67 16 21 37 42

International

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International stats are final, as per Mikeal Renberg's retirement[3]

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts +/- PIM
1990 Sweden EJC 6 7 1 8 6
1992 Sweden WJC 7 6 4 10 8
1993 Sweden WC 8 5 3 8 +5 6
1998 Sweden OG 4 1 2 3 4
1998 Sweden WC 10 5 3 8 6
2001 Sweden WC 9 4 3 7 +5 6
2002 Sweden OG 4 1 0 1 +2 4
2003 Sweden WC 9 1 4 5 +5 8
Junior totals 13 13 5 18 14
Senior totals 44 17 15 32 +21 34

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Redo att vända blad". svd.se. January 12, 2010. (in Swedish)
  2. ^ "Sore groin forces Renberg to retire". sportingnews.com. January 12, 2010.'
  3. ^ "Mikael Renberg career stats". eurohockey.net. January 12, 2010.'
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Winner of the Viking Award
1995
Succeeded by
Preceded by Tampa Bay Lightning captain
1997–98
Succeeded by
Preceded by Golden Puck
2001
Succeeded by