Viktor StÃÂ¥lberg (born 17 January 1986) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2013.
During the 2005âÂÂ06 season, StÃÂ¥lberg played for Frölunda HC in the J20 SuperElit. He led the team in scoring with 33 goals and 31 assists in 48 games during the regular season and playoffs. After this season, StÃÂ¥lberg was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 6th round (161st overall) of the 2006 NHL entry draft.
StÃÂ¥lberg joined the University of Vermont, hitting the ice for his freshman season in 2006âÂÂ07. He was one of only two freshmen on the team who played in all 39 of the club's games that season. He finished the season with 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points. During the season, he was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week on 13 November 2006, as well as being named to the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll. At the end of the season, StÃÂ¥lberg was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team.
During his sophomore season in 2007âÂÂ08, StÃÂ¥lberg again played in all 39 games for the Catamounts, scoring 10 goals and adding 13 assists. During the year, he was named Hockey East Player of the Week three times, and was also named to the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll three times. At the end of the season, he was an honorable mention Hockey East All-Star and had earned a spot on the Hockey East All-Academic Team.
During his junior year at Vermont, StÃÂ¥lberg again played in 39 games, scoring 24 goals and adding 22 assists. His 24 goals ranked fourth in the nation, and he led Vermont in points. He garnered many individual honors during this season. He was one of the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. He was the first player from the University of Vermont to be a finalist for the award since Martin St. Louis. He was the fourth player in program history to be named a finalist for the Hobey Baker award after Kirk McCaskill '83 (1982), Eric Perrin '97 (1996) and Martin St. Louis '97 (1995, 1996, 1997). He was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for January, and picked up two Hockey East Player of the Week honors. During this year he and his teammates made it to the Frozen Four. Stalberg was also named a Division I First-Team All-American in 2008-09.
After his successful junior campaign at the University of Vermont, StÃÂ¥lberg decided to turn pro, signing a two-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs on 14 April 2009. Immediately after signing his contract, StÃÂ¥lberg was assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League due to the 2008âÂÂ09 season having already concluded for the Maple Leafs and the Maple Leafs not qualifying for the playoffs. He made his professional debut with the Marlies during the 2009 AHL playoffs where he would play two games and would be held goalless with an assist for a lone point.
StÃÂ¥lberg made his NHL debut in the 2009âÂÂ10 season opener on 1 October 2009 in a 4âÂÂ3 OT loss to the Montreal Canadiens. In that game, StÃÂ¥lberg recorded his first career assist and point with an assist on a goal scored by Matt Stajan. On 6 October, the third game of the season and StÃÂ¥lberg's third NHL game in a Maple Leafs 2âÂÂ1 win over the Ottawa Senators, he sustained a concussion after being on the receiving end of an open-ice hit by Senators defenseman Anton Volchenkov, causing him to miss the next two games. On 18 December, StÃÂ¥lberg recorded his first NHL goal in a 5âÂÂ2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres against Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller. Three days later in another game against the Sabres, StÃÂ¥lberg suffered a shoulder injury after being hit by Sabres forward Adam Mair, causing him to miss the next four games. StÃÂ¥lberg finished his rookie season playing in 40 games with 14 points recorded (nine goals, five assists).
On 30 June 2010, StÃÂ¥lberg was traded along with prospects Philippe Paradis and Chris DiDomenico to the newly crowned Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Kris Versteeg and prospect Bill Sweatt. On 15 December, StÃÂ¥lberg suffered a concussion in a 4âÂÂ3 loss against the Colorado Avalanche after getting hit by Avalanche defenseman Ryan O'Byrne that led to StÃÂ¥lberg missing the next three games. StÃÂ¥lberg finished the 2010âÂÂ11 season, his first season with the Blackhawks and second season in the NHL altogether with 12 goals and assists for 24 points in 77 games. After the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks narrowly made the 2011 playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference, StÃÂ¥lberg made his Stanley Cup playoff debut on 13 April 2011 in game 1 of the Blackhawks first round series against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks and scored his first career playoff goal two days later on 15 April in game two on Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo. After losing the first three games, the Blackhawks would recover to win the next three games to force a game 7, which they lost in overtime 2âÂÂ1 for a 4âÂÂ3 series defeat. StÃÂ¥lberg ended his first playoffs with one goal and no assists for one point in all seven games played.
On 10 July 2011, StÃÂ¥lberg signed a two-year extension with the Blackhawks, taking him until the 2012âÂÂ13 season. StÃÂ¥lberg would miss the first three games of the 2011âÂÂ12 season due to a knee injury initially sustained on 28 September in a 4âÂÂ3 win in a pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings after a knee-on-knee collision with Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader. After returning to the Blackhawks lineup, StÃÂ¥lberg would go on to enjoy a breakout season. On 10 January 2012, StÃÂ¥lberg recorded his first career hat trick in a 5âÂÂ2 Blackhawks win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. StÃÂ¥lberg finished his career season with career highs in goals (22), assists (21) and points (43) in the final 79 games played. In game two of the first round of the 2012 playoffs against the Phoenix Coyotes on 14 April 2012, StÃÂ¥lberg recorded his first career playoff assist on an overtime-winning goal scored by Bryan Bickell. The Blackhawks would eventually get defeated in six games by the Coyotes and StÃÂ¥lberg was goalless but recorded two assists for two points in all six games played
In the lockout-shortened 2012âÂÂ13 season, StÃÂ¥lberg recorded nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 47 games as the Blackhawks won the Presidents' Trophy as regular season champions. StÃÂ¥lberg and the Blackhawks would go on to win the Stanley Cup in 2013 after they defeated the Minnesota Wild in five games, Detroit Red Wings in seven games and the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in five games in the first three rounds before defeating the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals in six games. He finished the 2013 playoffs goalless but recorded three assists and points in 19 games.
On the back of his success in the post-season with the Chicago Blackhawks and unable to negotiate a contract extension with the club, StÃÂ¥lberg left the Blackhawks as a free agent and signed a four-year deal worth $12 million with the Nashville Predators on 5 July 2013. On 24 September, StÃÂ¥lberg suffered a sprained AC joint in a pre-season game against the Tampa Bay Lightning from a check by Lightning' defenseman Dmitry Korobov and missed the first four games of the 2013âÂÂ14 regular season. He eventually ended the season playing in 70 games with eight goals, 10 assists for 18 points.
In the 2014âÂÂ15 season, his second season with the Predators and sixth in the NHL, failing to live up to the expectations of his contract largely due to knee and shoulder injuries, StÃÂ¥lberg was demoted to AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals for portions the 2014âÂÂ15 season. He was however summoned back to the Predators towards the end of the 2014âÂÂ15 season and for the 2015 playoffs in which the Predators lost in the first round in six games to StÃÂ¥lberg's former team and the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. On 30 June 2015, after he was placed on unconditional waivers, StÃÂ¥lberg was bought out from the remaining two-years of his contract with the Predators and released to free agency.
On 1 July 2015, with the ambition to reclaim his status in the NHL after the Predators bought out the remainder of his previous deal, StÃÂ¥lberg was signed to a one-year $1.1 million contract with the New York Rangers. Despite an early season concussion on 24 October 2015 against the Philadelphia Flyers from a hit by Flyers' defenseman Radko Gudas, causing him to miss the next two games, StÃÂ¥lberg enjoyed early offensive success, securing a role on the checking line and occasional time on the team's penalty killing unit as the season went on. In 75 games for the 2015âÂÂ16 season with the Rangers, StÃÂ¥lberg contributed with nine goals, 11 assists and 20 points. He was held pointless in all five games in the Rangers first round exit in five games in the 2016 playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On 1 July 2016, StÃÂ¥lberg left the Rangers as a free agent, agreeing to a one-year $1.5 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.
In the 2016âÂÂ17 season, after recording 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in 57 contests with the Hurricanes, who were out of playoff contention, StÃÂ¥lberg was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2017 third-round draft choice on 28 February 2017. After finishing the remainder of the season with two goals and two assists for four points in 18 games, StÃÂ¥lberg and the Senators would go on a lengthy playoff run in the 2017 playoffs by defeating the Boston Bruins in six games and StÃÂ¥lberg's former team, the New York Rangers in six games in the first two rounds before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round in seven games, one win short from the Stanley Cup Finals. StÃÂ¥lberg finished the 2017 playoffs playing in 17 games with no goals, two assists and points recorded. After the playoffs ended, it was revealed that many players on the Senators had been playing through injuries including StÃÂ¥lberg himself, who had played through rib and abdominal injuries.
Unable to gain a contract extension with the Senators or a new contract with any other NHL team, StÃÂ¥lberg left the NHL as a free agent after eight seasons and agreed to a two-year contract with EV Zug of the National League (NL) on 11 July 2017. He instantly became an impact player in Switzerland, collecting 22 goals and 50 points in 48 games and in the 2017âÂÂ18 season. Placing fourth in league points, StÃÂ¥lberg also earned selection to the NL Media All-Star Team and named as the NL Media's Best Forward.
In the following 2018âÂÂ19 season, StÃÂ¥lberg appeared in just 10 games before receiving and accepting a contract offer for the remainder of the year to leave Zug and move to the Kontinental Hockey League with Avangard Omsk on 30 October 2018.
On 26 April 2019, StÃÂ¥lberg returned to Switzerland and agreed to a two-year contract through the 2020âÂÂ21 season with HC Fribourg-Gottéron.
On 13 August 2021, StÃÂ¥lberg announced his retirement from professional ice hockey.
On 25 September 2023, StÃÂ¥lberg was named by his former school, the University of Vermont, as an advisor to the coaching staff for the men's ice hockey team, serving in the position on a part-time basis until September 2024. He earned his certification as a sommelier in July 2024 and as of October 2024, serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Global Wines, a Swedish-based alcoholic beverage importer alongside fellow countrymen and former NHL alumni Douglas Murray, who is the CEO of the company.
StÃÂ¥lberg was selected to represent Sweden in the 2012 IIHF World Championship. He also represented Sweden at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where he played in four games and registered one goal en route to Sweden placing 5th.
StÃÂ¥lberg's parents are Eddy and Maria StÃÂ¥lberg of Lerum, Sweden. He has two younger brothers, Alexander, and Sebastian, who currently plays hockey for Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). His favorite athlete growing up was former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin.