Tom Willander (born 9 February 2005) is a Swedish college ice hockey defenceman for Boston University in Hockey East. Willander was drafted 11th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.[1] Prior to joining Boston University Willander played for Rögle BK in the Swedish Hockey League.
| Tom Willander | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
9 February 2005 Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 179 lb (81 kg; 12 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| HE team Former teams |
Boston University Rögle BK | ||
| NHL draft |
11th overall, 2023 Vancouver Canucks | ||
| Playing career | 2023–present | ||
Playing career edit
Willander committed to playing for Boston University in the NCAA in his post-draft year, citing playing in college as better for his development over playing in the SHL.[2] Willander scored the game-winning goal against Team Canada during the grouping stage of the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, ensuring the highest seed for Team Sweden.[3]
International play edit
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Sweden
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 |
2024 Sweden | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| |
2023 Switzerland | |
Willander represented Sweden at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and won a silver medal.
Career statistics edit
Regular season and playoffs edit
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | AIK | J20 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | AIK | Allsv | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Rögle BK | J20 | 39 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Rögle BK | SHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Boston University | HE | 38 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SHL totals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International edit
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sweden | HG18 | 
|
5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2023 | Sweden | U18 |
|
7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 27 | |
| 2024 | Sweden | WJC |
|
7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 19 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 33 | ||||
Awards and honors edit
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-Hockey East Second Team | 2024 | [4] |
References edit
- ^ "Canucks Tom Willander is prudent NHL draft pick to improve defence". theprovince.com. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ Kimelman, Adam. "Willander turns down Sweden pro league for NCAA ahead of 2023 NHL Draft". NHL. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- ^ Johnston, Patrick. "World Juniors: Canucks prospect Tom Willander leads Sweden to win over Canada". National Post. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "HOCKEY EAST NAMES 2023-24 MEN'S ALL-STAR TEAMS". Hockey East. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
External links edit
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
 | This biographical article relating to a Swedish ice hockey defenceman is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |