Loui Eriksson: Elf-King of Texas (A Primer)
Fact: if the NHL players were fae, then Loui Eriksson would be the Seeliest of them all (especially now that Nick Lidstrom's retired).
Here are some other actual facts (and, uh, possibly also some opinions that snuck in there, I'm not sure how that happened):
Born: July 17, 1985 in Gothenberg, Sweden.
Drafted: 2003, 2nd round, 33rd overall, by the Dallas Stars. He's spent his entire North American pro career in the Stars organization.
Position: LW/RW.
Shoots: Left.
Height: 6'2".
Weight: 196 (according to stars.nhl.com, anyway).
Sweater Number: 21
First NHL game: October 4, 2006, versus the Colorado Avalanche. (Also his first NHL goal.)
NHL totals: 328 points in 453 regular season games (9 points in 22 playoff games), in four full seasons and two mostly-NHL seasons. More assists (190) than goals (138), and fewer penalty minutes than either (106). Note: that's fewer PIMs per game than Martin St Louis, perennial Lady Byng finalist. Speaking of...
Lady Byng nominations: one, in 2011 (he came in third behind St Louis and Lidstrom). He was also fourth in voting in 2012 -- and had more 1st place votes than anyone but the eventual winner, Brian Campbell. I know it's said that no one cares about the Lady Byng, but whatever. I'm telling you, the guy is actually a gentleman, and is also the kind of smart and sneaky on the ice that means he doesn't have to ever take penalties to be effective.
All-Star Game appearances: one, in 2011, in which he scored 2 goals and 2 assists. Jonathan Toews and Martin Havlat were his linemates:
Number of times voted "Most Underrated" by his fellow players: twice, once in 2011 in a NHLPA and CBC poll, and once in 2012 via a Sports Illustrated poll.
Other NHL totals: plus-40, 34 PPG, 6 SHG, 17 GWG, 77 hits, 134 blocks. (Translation: super solid two-way player, plays in all situations, not at all physical but tends to have great positioning.)
International play for Sweden: 2010 Olympics, 2009, 2011, and 2012 Worlds, 2004 and 2005 World Jrs, 2003 World U-18. Won bronze in 2009 and silver in 2011. At Worlds this year he ranked in the top 5 in the tournament in goals, assists, and points with 13 points in 8 games and was a +7. He was selected as one of the three best players on Tre Kronor by the coaches in both 2011 and 2012. In his three Worlds appearances he's got 24 points in 26 games and a +14; at the 2010 Olympics he had 4 points in 4 games (3G, 1A) and a +2.
Other achievements: Elitserien (Swedish Elite League) championship with Frölunda HC in 2005, Elitserien Rookie of the Year in 2003-4, Iowa Stars' Rookie of the Year in 2005-06. He has also been honored by royalty! Photographic proof:
From after the Sweden-Denmark game at this year's Worlds on 5/7/2012. That's Loui on the right, holding the Swedish Player of the Game award (selected by the team) presented to him by the rather dapper Prince Daniel of Sweden. (Coincidentally -- and awesomely! -- that's fellow Dallas Star Philip Larsen on the left, who received the Danish Player of the Game award from Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. It was a good day for Scandinavian Stars. :D) (From here.)
In summary, Eriksson is a smart, subtle, efficient playmaker and goal-scorer who also provides excellent defensive support; he works hard and does all the little things right while quietly making everyone around him better. I'll also note here that in the last four NHL seasons, his point totals were 63, 71, 73, and 71, and he only missed 3 games in that time period, which makes him both durable and consistent on top of everything else -- he was one of only 7 players to score 70+ points in each of the last three seasons (source). Obviously I'm biased, but I think that he's likely to win both a Lady Byng and a Selke at some point in his career, and absolutely deserve them both.
Plus, he's magic:
Here's a gorgeous short-handed goal he scored against Calgary in March:
Here's an example of his pretty pretty passing:
And here's a fantastic play that shows off his defensive awareness as well as his offensive vision and passing abilities:
Off the ice, Loui seems to be generally humble, calm, soft-spoken, thoughtful, and personable -- on the introverted side, but in a way that seems both focused and relaxed.
Which isn't to say he doesn't do his share of chirping his teammates when given the opportunity, as when he and Jamie Benn were both up for the NHL 13 cover initial vote, stating:
“It’s an easy decision. Vote for me. Jamie takes too many penalties to be the cover man.”
Of course, they chirp him right back, like so:
"Jamie Benn claims that Loui Eriksson, despite his rather quiet demeanor, is the funnier of the two Dallas Stars linemates. A comment here, a joke there; does he do impressions? "Not really," said Benn. "Maybe as Frodo, because he's got bad hair."
(Dear Jamie Benn: I love you, bb, but YOUR HAIR IS WORSE.
For comparison:
Even when Loui's hair is at its most ridiculous, it is kind of amazing. Whereas Benner's hair just needs help.)
Mostly, though, Eriksson says nice things about them, and they say nice things about him. Things like this:
Dallas Stars Captain Brenden Morrow:
"League-wide he's maybe underrated a hair, but we've kind of all known what he's been able to do and how good he is. We wanted to keep it a secret for a while, but we got him locked down for a few years contract-wise so we can talk about it now," Morrow joked. "The puck just kind of sticks to him. He's strong; he's not an overly big guy, but he wins battles in the corners, and he's lanky and puck just follows him around."
(Loui's got four more years left on his current contract -- 6 years, $25.5 million.)
Erstwhile linemate Steve Ott:
“You can call him slimy or slippery or whatever you want, but he is always in the right position,” said Ott. “He’s always doing the right play and that’s why he is so valuable out there.”
“How good was Brad Richards with Loui Eriksson? There’s a big difference if you put it all together,” said Ott. “I truly believe that he made Richie that much better than Richie made Loui that much better because of how much talent Loui has defensively, offensively. He knows to find the great areas around the ice and competes to get to those areas.”
Speaking of Brad Richards, he had this to say in January of 2011:
"I'm sure he's exceeded expectations at the age of 25 to be one of the top players in the league," said Richards, who centers a line with Eriksson and James Neal. "And that's what he is, whether he wants to admit it or not."
Frequent linemate Michael Ryder:
"Loui’s a really good two-way player, he’s smart and he never panics on the ice. He always makes the right decisions and is really good at anticipating what is going to happen. He’s a very smart player."
Teammate and third-line checking center Vernon Fiddler, after coming to the Stars from division rival Phoenix:
"He's a guy that's definitely on the radar when you're playing against him," Fiddler said. "Now that I've played with him, you don't realize how good he is until you actually play with him and practice with him. He's very calm with the puck. He's always on the puck. I've never probably seen another winger that responsible. He makes players around him way better."
See? They love him. (That's Eric Nystrom leaping into Loui's arms, Steve Ott, and Mike Ribeiro. Photo credit: Mike Stone, Reuters.) And Loui's teammates aren't the only ones who appreciate him:
Former Dallas Stars head coach Marc Crawford, discussing the first practice he visited after taking on the coaching job:
"There were about a dozen or so players on the ice and one guy was about a mile and a half ahead of the rest," Crawford said. "I looked at him a little closer and wasn't surprised that it was Loui Eriksson."
Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk:
"He's such a gifted skater and hard worker. What's most important is knows how good he can be and how good he wants to be," Nieuwendyk added. "You notice first how smart he is. But the most important part is the determination and drive -- the fearless approach he show you -- and how he's not afraid to get to the dirty areas in traffic."
Current Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan:
"You can't appreciate Loui until you have him. Just how cerebral he is. Just the little things he does on a daily basis. Loui's not a big, heavy guy but yet he goes in the corner, and Loui's always coming out with the puck. We're trying to learn from him."
"It's just the subtleties of the game," Gulutzan said. "And the best way I can describe him is he is a 'hockey' player. He understands the game; he understands how to get pucks and put them in places."
Also:
He’s one of those guys who when I watch video, he doesn’t jump off the screen,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. “But you keep watching games and you see the subtleties in his game, and his brain.”
“He goes to the hard areas to score his goals. He’s not a perimeter guy,” said Gulutzan. “Every time you see Loui score, he’s got his helmet twisted on the wrong way, or he’s fixing something because he’s picking himself up off the ice. He goes to the hard areas, he’s elusive, and he’s got a good hockey mind. He’s a real good player.”
In addition to teammates and coaches and the rest of the Stars organization, Loui has family! He's really private about them in general, pretty clearly trying to keep them out of the spotlight. That includes his brother Lennon Eriksson, a left winger who played pro hockey in the lower-tier Swedish leagues for a handful of years. But! I did find one article from November 2009 in which he talks about them a bit more than usual:
"This year, I came into camp with more confidence after last season. But then, I've got more responsibility, too. Her name is Elle. My wife, Micaela, gave birth to our first child just before training camp. Now, I'm not only working for my wife and myself, but Elle as well."
Here he is with Micaela (and then-teammate Brandon Segal) at a December 2010 charity event. She was his high-school sweetheart from his hometown in Sweden and seems to have kept her surname, Kanold. She and Loui own a large home in the Preston Hollow North area (one of the pricey and prestigious suburbs of Dallas), though they return to Sweden in the off-season.
Here he is with Elle, who was born 8/25/2009. He talks a little bit more about her here:
"It's a lot of change when you get a kid," Eriksson said. "It's something you wish the best for her all the time. It doesn't matter if you're playing good or playing bad; every time you come home she comes up with a smile. It's always nice to get home and see that."
So she doesn't mind if he's minus-4 and missed an open net in overtime?
Eriksson grins. No.
"Maybe in a couple of years she might start saying that, right but right now she's awesome," he said.
I believe this is Micaela with Elle on her shoulders at the glass during the 2011 All-Star Game. Super cute!
He and his wife have another daughter also, named Blanca, born 2/20/2012. He talks a little bit about balancing fatherhood with playing in the NHL here. The Stars went on a pretty nice win streak right after she was born. *g*
One thing I really love from that 2009 article is the part where Loui talks about the inspiration he's drawn from his father:
"My dad always told me you start with small goals and then listen to other people who know more about the game than you do, work as hard as you can at the things that will make you a complete player and then have confidence that your drive will take you to your dreams," the 24-year-old winger from Goteborg, Sweden said. "Yeah, I was real skinny, but I was confident I had the skills to some day play in the NHL."
When I first talk to a young player on the rise, I always want to see what makes him tick. One of the prime questions is: What obstacle did you have to overcome to get to where you are today? For Eriksson, that was the skinny. But the impetus, the drive, began when he was 15 and his dad, Bo, a pretty good handyman for years, was stricken with a brain tumor. Following the surgery the left side of Bo's body was left limp following the removal of the tumor.
"When you're young, you think you're parents are so strong, that there's nothing they can't do," Loui said, eyes wide open and focused on telling me how much his father fought through this affliction to continue working for Qunnila, a computer company in Goteberg. "Whenever I'm feel a little bruised or achy, a picture of my dad pops into my brain. Nothing stops him. He doesn't complain about what happened to him. He gets up in the morning like always and goes into work and fixes those computers."
♥_♥
And now for something completely different. Some frivolous facts! (From here, here, here, here, and here. Brief note about that last link: it goes to a 2009 Bob and Dan Radio Show interview and includes a bit of offensive language.)
Favorite player growing up: Peter Forsberg.
Favorite non-hockey team: Liverpool FC.
Best vacation spot: Italy.
Favorite meal: steak and potatoes.
Favorite things about Dallas: the weather and the abundance of steak.
Favorite Dallas restaurant: Nick and Sam's Steakhouse. (Things Loui Eriksson is not: a vegetarian.)
Favorite place to shop in Dallas: NorthPark Center. (The largest mall in Dallas. It sounds quite fancy from the descriptions -- high-end shops including European imports, modern art sculptures, a garden in the middle, and a public children's library… one of these things is not like the others? It's quite near Preston Hollow, anyway.)
Favorite around-town entertainment: going to the movies.
Favorite movie: Braveheart.
Favorite American TV show: Friends.
Drinks: Carlsberg beer. (A Danish pale lager.)
Drives (presumably not together): BMW M6; not sure of the exact model, but it sounds like he bought it around 2009.
Reads: Tolkien-esque fantasy novels.
Swedish food he most misses: meatballs and Swedish pizza.
Okay, enough with the facts. If you happen to be the kind of person who likes to ponder beyond-known-canon possibilities (and if you're not… are you sure you're in the right place?), some potential pairings for your consideration:
Loui Eriksson/Jamie Benn: Sometimes-linemates who ought to be always-linemates if the Stars could just put together the right top-6 mix of forwards for once (*tries not to hope too hard about this year*), because they have seriously great chemistry together. (Last season, after what Wyshynski of Puck Daddy referred to as a "torrid start" together (here, in one of the better interviews of Eriksson I've read), they were eventually split up so that Loui could compensate for Ribeiro's lack of defensive awareness on that line while Benn's line handled all the tougher defensive matchups.) The interesting thing about Loui and Benner is that both of them are very versatile forwards despite Loui being more about finesse and Benn being more of a power forward type, each of them possessing a great shot and great playmaking skills as well as strong defensive ability and excellent hockey sense. This allows them to be quite creative on the ice together. Of course, it turns out they also spent some quality time together off the ice working on exactly that:
"We hang out almost every day and play video games," said Benn. "We talk about life, but sometimes we play with each other in the video games. We have pretty good chemistry there and it definitely feeds into our game out here."
"We do practice mode a lot and do 2-on-1s in the practice mode so...it's pretty good." (From here.)
Here's to hoping they get to execute a lot of 2-on-1s together in the future. *cough*
Some more pretty no-look passes like this would also be acceptable:
Anything that would give us more photos like this one:
Loui Eriksson/Brad Richards: Before there was Jamie Benn, there was Brad Richards.
There was a lot of speculation after Richards traded in the Big D for the Big Apple that Loui's numbers would drop dramatically, but in a way I think Richards leaving when he did was a good thing for Loui's development, as he proved that his production wasn't tied to Richards exclusively. That does not, however, erase the blazing chemistry the two of them had together and the huge role that playing with Richards likely had in making Loui into player he is today. At first, they operated with Richards as the playmaker and Loui as his sniper, but as they played together more and more, their roles became more fluid and creative, and it seemed to benefit both their games a lot.
Richards seemingly never shut up about how much he liked playing with Eriksson; it's pretty adorable, I must admit. Here are just a couple of sample quotes:
“I say it all the time - I think he’s one of the more underrated players in the league,” said usual linemate Brad Richards of Eriksson. “I get to see him every night and he’s kind of my security blanket."
“I’m very fortunate that I’ve had him on my line the last two years,” said Richards, who has skated alongside Eriksson pretty much since he was acquired from Tampa Bay in Feb. 2008. “Right from the first playoff round that we played together, it worked. That’s just the way it is. Who knows why? I never knew him. He didn’t even get my name right when I got traded here, but for some reason, it still works. He’s a great player. I think there’s a lot more out of him that you’ll see in the next few years.” (From here.)
Richards, traded to the Stars from Tampa at the '08 trade deadline, signed in New York with the Rangers in the offseason but had high praise for Eriksson. "He's definitely one of the top five all-around wingers in the league right now," Richards told ESPN.com this week. "If people saw him play every day, they'd know that."
Richards took his estimation of Eriksson's value a step further, saying that of all the players he's played with, Eriksson and former Hart Trophy and Art Ross winner Martin St. Louis are the smartest. He does 100 little things right every night -- not just one amazing thing that people take note of, Richards said.
"You just can't teach people to read the game offensively and defensively the way Loui does. It's a natural thing that he's got," Richards said. (From here.)
Eriksson enjoyed playing with Richards, too! From the first article:
"He’s a fun guy to play with,” Eriksson said of Richards. “You always know where he is. He’s a good passing player and he can score, too, so it’s always good to play with him.”
And from the second one:
"For sure, he helped me a lot there when he came to the club," Eriksson said. "We started playing together right away. We had really good chemistry. He's been in the league for more years than me, and he tried to help me in a couple of things out there on the ice and off the ice, too. He helped me a lot."
Here, have a random video of them playing tennis in what kind of looks like a basement in Nassau Coliseum:
You could also toss James Neal in there with them, as he played on their line before being traded to Pittsburgh and seemed to click pretty well (he even lived with Brad Richards for a time, I believe). Neal on playing with the two of them:
"You know how skilled those two are, I just tried to fit in where I could,” said Neal, whose 27 goals trailed just Eriksson among the Stars. “They had chemistry from years before, so I just tried to do little things."
Those two pairings are probably the ones with the most actual textual basis to them. But that doesn't mean it's not fun to speculate on other possibilities!
Loui Eriksson/Michael Ryder: Loui and Ryder ended up on the same line quite often last year, flanking one center or another depending on who was healthy and playing well at any given time, and they developed a very nice rhythm together. Every playmaker needs a shooter they can count on, and when Loui was in playmaking mode last year, most often Ryder was his. This pairing would be a fun one because of the contrasts, personality-wise -- Ryder's a very laid-back guy, the kind who plays best when he's relaxed and smiling. Loui is more on the hard-working, intense side, and I like the idea of Ryder getting him to maybe loosen up a little while Loui could help Ryder buckle down and focus more when he needs to. A pairing that could be as adorable as Ryder's smile -- which is to say, VERY:
Loui Eriksson/Mike Ribeiro: Ribeiro and Eriksson were a staple of Dallas's line combos last season, and they complemented each others' games very well at times. The moments when their playmaking skills combined to form the ultimate playmaking machine (usually with Ryder as the finisher) were magic, and Loui's defensive awareness was what gave Ribeiro the freedom wander the o-zone at will, a big part of his preferred slick, slippery game. I have to admit here I have trouble actually shipping Ribs with anyone for whatever reason, and now he's not a Star anymore, anyway, but if you did want to ship him with someone, Loui would be a fine choice! Like several of these pairings, the off-ice personality contrast could certainly be intriguing.
And this is a pretty adorable hug, I grant you:
More tennis, this time with Ribeiro in a hallway:
… Brad Richards is a much better tennis player than Mike Ribeiro, at least based on this tiny sample size. Loui looks especially tall and skinny in this video; maybe he is not as long-haired as your typical Tolkien elf, but he's graceful on the ice and has the right physique.
Er, anyway. Moving on.
Loui Eriksson/Steve Ott: Eriksson-Benn-Ott was my favorite of the Stars' lines last year and I have to admit I kind of resented Ribeiro for breaking it up so often. I just thought they were the perfect combination of skill, size, and grit, and they had great chemistry:
Now, I think that was mostly Benn having good chemistry with both of them rather than them specifically having chemistry with each other, but still. Loui and Ott play nearly diametrically opposed but quite complementary styles of game (they are both extremely hard workers who never take the night off even if everyone around them is playing like shit, they're both defensively sound two-way players, and they both go to the hard areas of the ice and fight for the puck, but they use very different skill sets to do so), and their off-ice personas are just as different. It's not always true that opposites attract, but in general, it's fun to read about it when they do! I think the personality contrast in this pairing would be fascinating, as Ott is super personable and gregarious and down-to-earth and fun, and I have no idea how all that would work with Loui's rather quieter nature. I would love to see someone tackle this pairing (with or without Benner in the mix! He and his adorable social awkwardness would make the dynamic even weirder, I think), as I've really come to love Otter and will miss him terribly now that he's no longer a Star. It's pretty clear his teammates will, too.
Loui Eriksson/Brenden Morrow: The Captain dynamic always adds an interesting element to a pairing, and the fact that Loui has an A on his sweater adds to that. This would be another fun personality contrast, both on- and off-ice, and upon thinking about it further, I could see them suiting each other rather well in some ways. Loui would be good support for Morrow, steady and calming. Could work well as a road-exception fuckbuddy sort of pairing, perhaps.
Loui Eriksson/Alex Goligoski: Maybe it's weird to base potential pairings solely on hockey chemistry, but this ridiculously pretty passing play says otherwise:
Why yes, that was Goligoski -> Eriksson -> Morrow -> Goligoski -> Eriksson and in, why do you ask?
Loui Eriksson/Glen Gulutzan: Well, this would be one of the healthier coach/player dynamics that I can think of. They're both on the calm, cerebral side, so much so that perhaps they'd be too sensible for it to ever happen. On the other hand, there's this photo of them at practice (from here):
So... yeah.
The rest of these all fall into the Scandinavian solidarity category.
Loui Eriksson/Philip Larsen: Danish defenseman Larsen had a solid season with the Stars last year and then played for Denmark at Worlds (see photo with royalty earlier in the primer). Larsen's wee and adorable and only 22 years old, and there's just something about age differences… plus, Larsen played with Frölunda, Loui's old Elitserien club in Sweden, before coming over to North America.
Loui Eriksson/Kari Lehtonen: Surely goaltenders appreciate their defensive forwards? I think they must. Finnish goaltenders included. And every player should appreciate their goalie!
Loui Eriksson/Tom Wandell: They're the only two Swedish players on the Stars. That has to count for something. And hey, there's photographic proof that they go to Swedish nightclubs together (Loui's the sunburnt one on the right, Wandell's second from the left -- it's not the best picture of either of them, but you get the idea, anyway):
Loui Eriksson/Henrik Zetterberg: Eriksson-Zetterberg seemed to be the core of one of the go-to line combinations for Sweden at both Worlds this year and at the Olympics in 2010. They often played with Johan Franzen on their line, but at Worlds Jakob Silfverberg and Gabriel Landeskog also got some time with them.
… I'd also read Loui Eriksson/Gabriel Landeskog, come to think of it. Or really, Loui with any number of fellow Swedes. The reasons for that are obvious, right?
Right.
Here is a gif of Loui Eriksson and Henrik Lundqvist. For… reasons.
And here they are at the 2011 All-Star Game:
Random photo time!
Loui looked especially good at the 2011 All-Star Game, I thought:
That's Carey Price behind him during the Breakaway competition.
With Anze Kopitar -- they both look quite nice in this photo.
During the introductory lineup with Matt Duchene, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Toews.
He also looked adorable during the press for the 2011 NHL Awards:
I have trouble describing the color of his eyes. As far as I can tell, they're sort of a dark blue-green-grey with some brown elements without, somehow, actually being hazel. I guess if I were forced to pick one color I'd go with blue? Marine blue, kind of. But it seems insufficient.
Loui looks amazing while making radio show appearances:
His thighs in this picture kind of make me swoon.
And he looks wonderful while hanging out with his friends for charity:
From the left: Adam Burish, Jamie Benn (with the rather dapper hat), Mike Ribeiro, Karlis Skrastins, and Loui Eriksson. (They're at the Brad Richards Poker Stars fundraising event for the Children's Medical Center of Dallas, December 15, 2010.)
This is from a different charity event, Casino Night 2011.
Sometimes I think he looks like Christian Bale:
Other times, he really doesn't:
I kind of think he looks like an elvish hippie here, if such a thing were to exist. Maybe he's actually a resident of Bordertown.
Sometimes all I can think about is his ridiculously gorgeous bone structure:
Other times I'm too distracted by the adorable dog to care (I love Westies!):
During games he's usually very focused:
This is what it takes to prepare:
Though he sometimes takes breaks during practice to do something sweet:
He doesn't love being interviewed, but he looks good while doing them anyway:
But he looks much happier here with Assistant Coach Paul Jerrard:
I'll leave you with a few animated gifs made by henriksaves:
If you want to learn more about Loui Eriksson, here are a few places to start beyond the sources already linked above:
His wikipedia page.
His official Stars page.
His page at Elite Prospects, which includes his international statistics.
Blog-format list of ESPN articles tagged with his name.
Defending Big D is the SB Nation Dallas Stars site and my favorite place to get Stars news and analysis. This is their review of Loui's season as part of their Season Grades series.
A fyeahlouieriksson tumblr with lots of photos.
His Zimbio tag, which mostly consists of game footage photos.
All the videos mentioning Loui in the title or description on the official Stars website. Some really good stuff here, both on the ice and off of it. Watch any of the interviews to hear Loui's adorably Swedish accent.
All of Loui's goals in reverse order of occurrence on the official Stars website.
Here are some other actual facts (and, uh, possibly also some opinions that snuck in there, I'm not sure how that happened):
Born: July 17, 1985 in Gothenberg, Sweden.
Drafted: 2003, 2nd round, 33rd overall, by the Dallas Stars. He's spent his entire North American pro career in the Stars organization.
Position: LW/RW.
Shoots: Left.
Height: 6'2".
Weight: 196 (according to stars.nhl.com, anyway).
Sweater Number: 21
First NHL game: October 4, 2006, versus the Colorado Avalanche. (Also his first NHL goal.)
NHL totals: 328 points in 453 regular season games (9 points in 22 playoff games), in four full seasons and two mostly-NHL seasons. More assists (190) than goals (138), and fewer penalty minutes than either (106). Note: that's fewer PIMs per game than Martin St Louis, perennial Lady Byng finalist. Speaking of...
Lady Byng nominations: one, in 2011 (he came in third behind St Louis and Lidstrom). He was also fourth in voting in 2012 -- and had more 1st place votes than anyone but the eventual winner, Brian Campbell. I know it's said that no one cares about the Lady Byng, but whatever. I'm telling you, the guy is actually a gentleman, and is also the kind of smart and sneaky on the ice that means he doesn't have to ever take penalties to be effective.
All-Star Game appearances: one, in 2011, in which he scored 2 goals and 2 assists. Jonathan Toews and Martin Havlat were his linemates:
Number of times voted "Most Underrated" by his fellow players: twice, once in 2011 in a NHLPA and CBC poll, and once in 2012 via a Sports Illustrated poll.
Other NHL totals: plus-40, 34 PPG, 6 SHG, 17 GWG, 77 hits, 134 blocks. (Translation: super solid two-way player, plays in all situations, not at all physical but tends to have great positioning.)
International play for Sweden: 2010 Olympics, 2009, 2011, and 2012 Worlds, 2004 and 2005 World Jrs, 2003 World U-18. Won bronze in 2009 and silver in 2011. At Worlds this year he ranked in the top 5 in the tournament in goals, assists, and points with 13 points in 8 games and was a +7. He was selected as one of the three best players on Tre Kronor by the coaches in both 2011 and 2012. In his three Worlds appearances he's got 24 points in 26 games and a +14; at the 2010 Olympics he had 4 points in 4 games (3G, 1A) and a +2.
Other achievements: Elitserien (Swedish Elite League) championship with Frölunda HC in 2005, Elitserien Rookie of the Year in 2003-4, Iowa Stars' Rookie of the Year in 2005-06. He has also been honored by royalty! Photographic proof:
From after the Sweden-Denmark game at this year's Worlds on 5/7/2012. That's Loui on the right, holding the Swedish Player of the Game award (selected by the team) presented to him by the rather dapper Prince Daniel of Sweden. (Coincidentally -- and awesomely! -- that's fellow Dallas Star Philip Larsen on the left, who received the Danish Player of the Game award from Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. It was a good day for Scandinavian Stars. :D) (From here.)
In summary, Eriksson is a smart, subtle, efficient playmaker and goal-scorer who also provides excellent defensive support; he works hard and does all the little things right while quietly making everyone around him better. I'll also note here that in the last four NHL seasons, his point totals were 63, 71, 73, and 71, and he only missed 3 games in that time period, which makes him both durable and consistent on top of everything else -- he was one of only 7 players to score 70+ points in each of the last three seasons (source). Obviously I'm biased, but I think that he's likely to win both a Lady Byng and a Selke at some point in his career, and absolutely deserve them both.
Plus, he's magic:
Here's a gorgeous short-handed goal he scored against Calgary in March:
Here's an example of his pretty pretty passing:
And here's a fantastic play that shows off his defensive awareness as well as his offensive vision and passing abilities:
Off the ice, Loui seems to be generally humble, calm, soft-spoken, thoughtful, and personable -- on the introverted side, but in a way that seems both focused and relaxed.
Which isn't to say he doesn't do his share of chirping his teammates when given the opportunity, as when he and Jamie Benn were both up for the NHL 13 cover initial vote, stating:
“It’s an easy decision. Vote for me. Jamie takes too many penalties to be the cover man.”
Of course, they chirp him right back, like so:
"Jamie Benn claims that Loui Eriksson, despite his rather quiet demeanor, is the funnier of the two Dallas Stars linemates. A comment here, a joke there; does he do impressions? "Not really," said Benn. "Maybe as Frodo, because he's got bad hair."
(Dear Jamie Benn: I love you, bb, but YOUR HAIR IS WORSE.
For comparison:
Even when Loui's hair is at its most ridiculous, it is kind of amazing. Whereas Benner's hair just needs help.)
Mostly, though, Eriksson says nice things about them, and they say nice things about him. Things like this:
Dallas Stars Captain Brenden Morrow:
"League-wide he's maybe underrated a hair, but we've kind of all known what he's been able to do and how good he is. We wanted to keep it a secret for a while, but we got him locked down for a few years contract-wise so we can talk about it now," Morrow joked. "The puck just kind of sticks to him. He's strong; he's not an overly big guy, but he wins battles in the corners, and he's lanky and puck just follows him around."
(Loui's got four more years left on his current contract -- 6 years, $25.5 million.)
Erstwhile linemate Steve Ott:
“You can call him slimy or slippery or whatever you want, but he is always in the right position,” said Ott. “He’s always doing the right play and that’s why he is so valuable out there.”
“How good was Brad Richards with Loui Eriksson? There’s a big difference if you put it all together,” said Ott. “I truly believe that he made Richie that much better than Richie made Loui that much better because of how much talent Loui has defensively, offensively. He knows to find the great areas around the ice and competes to get to those areas.”
Speaking of Brad Richards, he had this to say in January of 2011:
"I'm sure he's exceeded expectations at the age of 25 to be one of the top players in the league," said Richards, who centers a line with Eriksson and James Neal. "And that's what he is, whether he wants to admit it or not."
Frequent linemate Michael Ryder:
"Loui’s a really good two-way player, he’s smart and he never panics on the ice. He always makes the right decisions and is really good at anticipating what is going to happen. He’s a very smart player."
Teammate and third-line checking center Vernon Fiddler, after coming to the Stars from division rival Phoenix:
"He's a guy that's definitely on the radar when you're playing against him," Fiddler said. "Now that I've played with him, you don't realize how good he is until you actually play with him and practice with him. He's very calm with the puck. He's always on the puck. I've never probably seen another winger that responsible. He makes players around him way better."
See? They love him. (That's Eric Nystrom leaping into Loui's arms, Steve Ott, and Mike Ribeiro. Photo credit: Mike Stone, Reuters.) And Loui's teammates aren't the only ones who appreciate him:
Former Dallas Stars head coach Marc Crawford, discussing the first practice he visited after taking on the coaching job:
"There were about a dozen or so players on the ice and one guy was about a mile and a half ahead of the rest," Crawford said. "I looked at him a little closer and wasn't surprised that it was Loui Eriksson."
Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk:
"He's such a gifted skater and hard worker. What's most important is knows how good he can be and how good he wants to be," Nieuwendyk added. "You notice first how smart he is. But the most important part is the determination and drive -- the fearless approach he show you -- and how he's not afraid to get to the dirty areas in traffic."
Current Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan:
"You can't appreciate Loui until you have him. Just how cerebral he is. Just the little things he does on a daily basis. Loui's not a big, heavy guy but yet he goes in the corner, and Loui's always coming out with the puck. We're trying to learn from him."
"It's just the subtleties of the game," Gulutzan said. "And the best way I can describe him is he is a 'hockey' player. He understands the game; he understands how to get pucks and put them in places."
Also:
He’s one of those guys who when I watch video, he doesn’t jump off the screen,” said Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. “But you keep watching games and you see the subtleties in his game, and his brain.”
“He goes to the hard areas to score his goals. He’s not a perimeter guy,” said Gulutzan. “Every time you see Loui score, he’s got his helmet twisted on the wrong way, or he’s fixing something because he’s picking himself up off the ice. He goes to the hard areas, he’s elusive, and he’s got a good hockey mind. He’s a real good player.”
In addition to teammates and coaches and the rest of the Stars organization, Loui has family! He's really private about them in general, pretty clearly trying to keep them out of the spotlight. That includes his brother Lennon Eriksson, a left winger who played pro hockey in the lower-tier Swedish leagues for a handful of years. But! I did find one article from November 2009 in which he talks about them a bit more than usual:
"This year, I came into camp with more confidence after last season. But then, I've got more responsibility, too. Her name is Elle. My wife, Micaela, gave birth to our first child just before training camp. Now, I'm not only working for my wife and myself, but Elle as well."
Here he is with Micaela (and then-teammate Brandon Segal) at a December 2010 charity event. She was his high-school sweetheart from his hometown in Sweden and seems to have kept her surname, Kanold. She and Loui own a large home in the Preston Hollow North area (one of the pricey and prestigious suburbs of Dallas), though they return to Sweden in the off-season.
Here he is with Elle, who was born 8/25/2009. He talks a little bit more about her here:
"It's a lot of change when you get a kid," Eriksson said. "It's something you wish the best for her all the time. It doesn't matter if you're playing good or playing bad; every time you come home she comes up with a smile. It's always nice to get home and see that."
So she doesn't mind if he's minus-4 and missed an open net in overtime?
Eriksson grins. No.
"Maybe in a couple of years she might start saying that, right but right now she's awesome," he said.
I believe this is Micaela with Elle on her shoulders at the glass during the 2011 All-Star Game. Super cute!
He and his wife have another daughter also, named Blanca, born 2/20/2012. He talks a little bit about balancing fatherhood with playing in the NHL here. The Stars went on a pretty nice win streak right after she was born. *g*
One thing I really love from that 2009 article is the part where Loui talks about the inspiration he's drawn from his father:
"My dad always told me you start with small goals and then listen to other people who know more about the game than you do, work as hard as you can at the things that will make you a complete player and then have confidence that your drive will take you to your dreams," the 24-year-old winger from Goteborg, Sweden said. "Yeah, I was real skinny, but I was confident I had the skills to some day play in the NHL."
When I first talk to a young player on the rise, I always want to see what makes him tick. One of the prime questions is: What obstacle did you have to overcome to get to where you are today? For Eriksson, that was the skinny. But the impetus, the drive, began when he was 15 and his dad, Bo, a pretty good handyman for years, was stricken with a brain tumor. Following the surgery the left side of Bo's body was left limp following the removal of the tumor.
"When you're young, you think you're parents are so strong, that there's nothing they can't do," Loui said, eyes wide open and focused on telling me how much his father fought through this affliction to continue working for Qunnila, a computer company in Goteberg. "Whenever I'm feel a little bruised or achy, a picture of my dad pops into my brain. Nothing stops him. He doesn't complain about what happened to him. He gets up in the morning like always and goes into work and fixes those computers."
♥_♥
And now for something completely different. Some frivolous facts! (From here, here, here, here, and here. Brief note about that last link: it goes to a 2009 Bob and Dan Radio Show interview and includes a bit of offensive language.)
Favorite player growing up: Peter Forsberg.
Favorite non-hockey team: Liverpool FC.
Best vacation spot: Italy.
Favorite meal: steak and potatoes.
Favorite things about Dallas: the weather and the abundance of steak.
Favorite Dallas restaurant: Nick and Sam's Steakhouse. (Things Loui Eriksson is not: a vegetarian.)
Favorite place to shop in Dallas: NorthPark Center. (The largest mall in Dallas. It sounds quite fancy from the descriptions -- high-end shops including European imports, modern art sculptures, a garden in the middle, and a public children's library… one of these things is not like the others? It's quite near Preston Hollow, anyway.)
Favorite around-town entertainment: going to the movies.
Favorite movie: Braveheart.
Favorite American TV show: Friends.
Drinks: Carlsberg beer. (A Danish pale lager.)
Drives (presumably not together): BMW M6; not sure of the exact model, but it sounds like he bought it around 2009.
Reads: Tolkien-esque fantasy novels.
Swedish food he most misses: meatballs and Swedish pizza.
Okay, enough with the facts. If you happen to be the kind of person who likes to ponder beyond-known-canon possibilities (and if you're not… are you sure you're in the right place?), some potential pairings for your consideration:
Loui Eriksson/Jamie Benn: Sometimes-linemates who ought to be always-linemates if the Stars could just put together the right top-6 mix of forwards for once (*tries not to hope too hard about this year*), because they have seriously great chemistry together. (Last season, after what Wyshynski of Puck Daddy referred to as a "torrid start" together (here, in one of the better interviews of Eriksson I've read), they were eventually split up so that Loui could compensate for Ribeiro's lack of defensive awareness on that line while Benn's line handled all the tougher defensive matchups.) The interesting thing about Loui and Benner is that both of them are very versatile forwards despite Loui being more about finesse and Benn being more of a power forward type, each of them possessing a great shot and great playmaking skills as well as strong defensive ability and excellent hockey sense. This allows them to be quite creative on the ice together. Of course, it turns out they also spent some quality time together off the ice working on exactly that:
"We hang out almost every day and play video games," said Benn. "We talk about life, but sometimes we play with each other in the video games. We have pretty good chemistry there and it definitely feeds into our game out here."
"We do practice mode a lot and do 2-on-1s in the practice mode so...it's pretty good." (From here.)
Here's to hoping they get to execute a lot of 2-on-1s together in the future. *cough*
Some more pretty no-look passes like this would also be acceptable:
Anything that would give us more photos like this one:
Loui Eriksson/Brad Richards: Before there was Jamie Benn, there was Brad Richards.
There was a lot of speculation after Richards traded in the Big D for the Big Apple that Loui's numbers would drop dramatically, but in a way I think Richards leaving when he did was a good thing for Loui's development, as he proved that his production wasn't tied to Richards exclusively. That does not, however, erase the blazing chemistry the two of them had together and the huge role that playing with Richards likely had in making Loui into player he is today. At first, they operated with Richards as the playmaker and Loui as his sniper, but as they played together more and more, their roles became more fluid and creative, and it seemed to benefit both their games a lot.
Richards seemingly never shut up about how much he liked playing with Eriksson; it's pretty adorable, I must admit. Here are just a couple of sample quotes:
“I say it all the time - I think he’s one of the more underrated players in the league,” said usual linemate Brad Richards of Eriksson. “I get to see him every night and he’s kind of my security blanket."
“I’m very fortunate that I’ve had him on my line the last two years,” said Richards, who has skated alongside Eriksson pretty much since he was acquired from Tampa Bay in Feb. 2008. “Right from the first playoff round that we played together, it worked. That’s just the way it is. Who knows why? I never knew him. He didn’t even get my name right when I got traded here, but for some reason, it still works. He’s a great player. I think there’s a lot more out of him that you’ll see in the next few years.” (From here.)
Richards, traded to the Stars from Tampa at the '08 trade deadline, signed in New York with the Rangers in the offseason but had high praise for Eriksson. "He's definitely one of the top five all-around wingers in the league right now," Richards told ESPN.com this week. "If people saw him play every day, they'd know that."
Richards took his estimation of Eriksson's value a step further, saying that of all the players he's played with, Eriksson and former Hart Trophy and Art Ross winner Martin St. Louis are the smartest. He does 100 little things right every night -- not just one amazing thing that people take note of, Richards said.
"You just can't teach people to read the game offensively and defensively the way Loui does. It's a natural thing that he's got," Richards said. (From here.)
Eriksson enjoyed playing with Richards, too! From the first article:
"He’s a fun guy to play with,” Eriksson said of Richards. “You always know where he is. He’s a good passing player and he can score, too, so it’s always good to play with him.”
And from the second one:
"For sure, he helped me a lot there when he came to the club," Eriksson said. "We started playing together right away. We had really good chemistry. He's been in the league for more years than me, and he tried to help me in a couple of things out there on the ice and off the ice, too. He helped me a lot."
Here, have a random video of them playing tennis in what kind of looks like a basement in Nassau Coliseum:
You could also toss James Neal in there with them, as he played on their line before being traded to Pittsburgh and seemed to click pretty well (he even lived with Brad Richards for a time, I believe). Neal on playing with the two of them:
"You know how skilled those two are, I just tried to fit in where I could,” said Neal, whose 27 goals trailed just Eriksson among the Stars. “They had chemistry from years before, so I just tried to do little things."
Those two pairings are probably the ones with the most actual textual basis to them. But that doesn't mean it's not fun to speculate on other possibilities!
Loui Eriksson/Michael Ryder: Loui and Ryder ended up on the same line quite often last year, flanking one center or another depending on who was healthy and playing well at any given time, and they developed a very nice rhythm together. Every playmaker needs a shooter they can count on, and when Loui was in playmaking mode last year, most often Ryder was his. This pairing would be a fun one because of the contrasts, personality-wise -- Ryder's a very laid-back guy, the kind who plays best when he's relaxed and smiling. Loui is more on the hard-working, intense side, and I like the idea of Ryder getting him to maybe loosen up a little while Loui could help Ryder buckle down and focus more when he needs to. A pairing that could be as adorable as Ryder's smile -- which is to say, VERY:
Loui Eriksson/Mike Ribeiro: Ribeiro and Eriksson were a staple of Dallas's line combos last season, and they complemented each others' games very well at times. The moments when their playmaking skills combined to form the ultimate playmaking machine (usually with Ryder as the finisher) were magic, and Loui's defensive awareness was what gave Ribeiro the freedom wander the o-zone at will, a big part of his preferred slick, slippery game. I have to admit here I have trouble actually shipping Ribs with anyone for whatever reason, and now he's not a Star anymore, anyway, but if you did want to ship him with someone, Loui would be a fine choice! Like several of these pairings, the off-ice personality contrast could certainly be intriguing.
And this is a pretty adorable hug, I grant you:
More tennis, this time with Ribeiro in a hallway:
… Brad Richards is a much better tennis player than Mike Ribeiro, at least based on this tiny sample size. Loui looks especially tall and skinny in this video; maybe he is not as long-haired as your typical Tolkien elf, but he's graceful on the ice and has the right physique.
Er, anyway. Moving on.
Loui Eriksson/Steve Ott: Eriksson-Benn-Ott was my favorite of the Stars' lines last year and I have to admit I kind of resented Ribeiro for breaking it up so often. I just thought they were the perfect combination of skill, size, and grit, and they had great chemistry:
Now, I think that was mostly Benn having good chemistry with both of them rather than them specifically having chemistry with each other, but still. Loui and Ott play nearly diametrically opposed but quite complementary styles of game (they are both extremely hard workers who never take the night off even if everyone around them is playing like shit, they're both defensively sound two-way players, and they both go to the hard areas of the ice and fight for the puck, but they use very different skill sets to do so), and their off-ice personas are just as different. It's not always true that opposites attract, but in general, it's fun to read about it when they do! I think the personality contrast in this pairing would be fascinating, as Ott is super personable and gregarious and down-to-earth and fun, and I have no idea how all that would work with Loui's rather quieter nature. I would love to see someone tackle this pairing (with or without Benner in the mix! He and his adorable social awkwardness would make the dynamic even weirder, I think), as I've really come to love Otter and will miss him terribly now that he's no longer a Star. It's pretty clear his teammates will, too.
Loui Eriksson/Brenden Morrow: The Captain dynamic always adds an interesting element to a pairing, and the fact that Loui has an A on his sweater adds to that. This would be another fun personality contrast, both on- and off-ice, and upon thinking about it further, I could see them suiting each other rather well in some ways. Loui would be good support for Morrow, steady and calming. Could work well as a road-exception fuckbuddy sort of pairing, perhaps.
Loui Eriksson/Alex Goligoski: Maybe it's weird to base potential pairings solely on hockey chemistry, but this ridiculously pretty passing play says otherwise:
Why yes, that was Goligoski -> Eriksson -> Morrow -> Goligoski -> Eriksson and in, why do you ask?
Loui Eriksson/Glen Gulutzan: Well, this would be one of the healthier coach/player dynamics that I can think of. They're both on the calm, cerebral side, so much so that perhaps they'd be too sensible for it to ever happen. On the other hand, there's this photo of them at practice (from here):
So... yeah.
The rest of these all fall into the Scandinavian solidarity category.
Loui Eriksson/Philip Larsen: Danish defenseman Larsen had a solid season with the Stars last year and then played for Denmark at Worlds (see photo with royalty earlier in the primer). Larsen's wee and adorable and only 22 years old, and there's just something about age differences… plus, Larsen played with Frölunda, Loui's old Elitserien club in Sweden, before coming over to North America.
Loui Eriksson/Kari Lehtonen: Surely goaltenders appreciate their defensive forwards? I think they must. Finnish goaltenders included. And every player should appreciate their goalie!
Loui Eriksson/Tom Wandell: They're the only two Swedish players on the Stars. That has to count for something. And hey, there's photographic proof that they go to Swedish nightclubs together (Loui's the sunburnt one on the right, Wandell's second from the left -- it's not the best picture of either of them, but you get the idea, anyway):
Loui Eriksson/Henrik Zetterberg: Eriksson-Zetterberg seemed to be the core of one of the go-to line combinations for Sweden at both Worlds this year and at the Olympics in 2010. They often played with Johan Franzen on their line, but at Worlds Jakob Silfverberg and Gabriel Landeskog also got some time with them.
… I'd also read Loui Eriksson/Gabriel Landeskog, come to think of it. Or really, Loui with any number of fellow Swedes. The reasons for that are obvious, right?
Right.
Here is a gif of Loui Eriksson and Henrik Lundqvist. For… reasons.
And here they are at the 2011 All-Star Game:
Random photo time!
Loui looked especially good at the 2011 All-Star Game, I thought:
That's Carey Price behind him during the Breakaway competition.
With Anze Kopitar -- they both look quite nice in this photo.
During the introductory lineup with Matt Duchene, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Toews.
He also looked adorable during the press for the 2011 NHL Awards:
I have trouble describing the color of his eyes. As far as I can tell, they're sort of a dark blue-green-grey with some brown elements without, somehow, actually being hazel. I guess if I were forced to pick one color I'd go with blue? Marine blue, kind of. But it seems insufficient.
Loui looks amazing while making radio show appearances:
His thighs in this picture kind of make me swoon.
And he looks wonderful while hanging out with his friends for charity:
From the left: Adam Burish, Jamie Benn (with the rather dapper hat), Mike Ribeiro, Karlis Skrastins, and Loui Eriksson. (They're at the Brad Richards Poker Stars fundraising event for the Children's Medical Center of Dallas, December 15, 2010.)
This is from a different charity event, Casino Night 2011.
Sometimes I think he looks like Christian Bale:
Other times, he really doesn't:
I kind of think he looks like an elvish hippie here, if such a thing were to exist. Maybe he's actually a resident of Bordertown.
Sometimes all I can think about is his ridiculously gorgeous bone structure:
Other times I'm too distracted by the adorable dog to care (I love Westies!):
During games he's usually very focused:
This is what it takes to prepare:
Though he sometimes takes breaks during practice to do something sweet:
He doesn't love being interviewed, but he looks good while doing them anyway:
But he looks much happier here with Assistant Coach Paul Jerrard:
I'll leave you with a few animated gifs made by henriksaves:
If you want to learn more about Loui Eriksson, here are a few places to start beyond the sources already linked above:
His wikipedia page.
His official Stars page.
His page at Elite Prospects, which includes his international statistics.
Blog-format list of ESPN articles tagged with his name.
Defending Big D is the SB Nation Dallas Stars site and my favorite place to get Stars news and analysis. This is their review of Loui's season as part of their Season Grades series.
A fyeahlouieriksson tumblr with lots of photos.
His Zimbio tag, which mostly consists of game footage photos.
All the videos mentioning Loui in the title or description on the official Stars website. Some really good stuff here, both on the ice and off of it. Watch any of the interviews to hear Loui's adorably Swedish accent.
All of Loui's goals in reverse order of occurrence on the official Stars website.