Mikael Tellqvist
Mikael Tellqvist ( born September 19, 1979 in Sundbyberg ) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who stands since May 2012 with Dinamo Riga in the Kontinental Hockey League contract.
Career
Mikael Tellqvist began his career in the junior Djurgårdens IF, where he was able to prevail as a goalkeeper. 1998/99 he went to the pros on in the Elitserien and took over the position of the back-up goalie behind the former NHL goalie Tommy Soderstrom. Soderstrom played as often as he could, which is why Tellqvist received only three inserts.
In the season 1999/2000 he made then the breakthrough and could Söderström displace out of the gate, winning the championship of the Elitserien and was awarded as the best rookie. In the NHL Entry Draft 2000, he was then selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round at position 70. He played one more season in Sweden, won the championship again and played with the Swedish National Team at the 2001 World Championships, where she won the bronze medal. He then moved to North America.
The 2001/02 season he played with the St. John 's Maple Leafs, the former farm team of Toronto in the American Hockey League. During the season 2002 /03 he was allowed to complete his first three appearances in the NHL, but remained mostly in the AHL. After the season, he won with Sweden at the World Championships silver medal.
In the 2003 / 04 season, he was nevertheless already playing eleven times for Toronto and after the lockout and the consequent failure of the 2004/05 season he was finally an integral part of the NHL squad because he the role of back-up goalie took over behind Ed Belfour. In February 2006, he was with the Swedish national team for the Olympic Winter Games in Turin, where they were Olympic champions, however Tellqvist had only one game.
On 10 March 2006, Ed Belfour injured and Tellqvist was temporarily goalkeeper of the Maple Leafs, but after he had consecutively collected a total of eleven goals in two games against the Montreal Canadiens, he lost his regular place of Jean -Sebastien Aubin. At the beginning of the season 2006/ 07 Tellqvist was sent to the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, as the Maple Leafs opted for Andrew Raycroft and Jean- Sebastien Aubin as a goalkeeper team. After an injury of Raycroft Tellqvist returned once more to the Maple Leafs and played a game, which he lost, however.
On 28 November 2006 he was transferred from the Maple Leafs to the Phoenix Coyotes, whose goalkeeper schwächelten in the season. Tellqvist immediately had a good start and beakm in his first two games 52 shots on goal, but conceded just three goals and won both games. He developed into a serious competitor for goalkeeper and veteran Curtis Joseph, but could not dislodge him. During the 2007/ 08 season Tellqvist formed, along with Alex Auld, the goalkeeper of the team Coyotes. On March 4, 2009, the day of the trade deadline, he was transferred in exchange for a fourth- round draft pick to the Buffalo Sabres.
In May 2009 Tellqvist was taken from Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League contract. After a moderate start to the season Tellqvist was delivered to Lukko Rauma in November 2009, which sent in return Petri Vehanen to Kazan.
In August 2010 Tellqvist was taken from Dinamo Riga under contract and thus returned back to the KHL. After a season not these extended his contract, so the Swede returned in June 2011 in his home and was awarded a contract with MODO Hockey. For MODO he graduated in the following 51 games in the Elitserien, before he returned to Dinamo Riga in May 2012, a contract was awarded to 2014.
Others
- Tellqvist made his first NHL game on January 18, 2003. A day earlier, he was appointed by the farm team in the NHL squad since Ed Belfour had hurt. Trevor Kidd was at the beginning of the game in goal, but then everything came yet different. 14 minutes before the end of the last third with the score at 2-1 for Toronto Tellqvist came into the game and had to accept the compensation, but parried the remaining shots and was able to finally celebrate a 3-2 win in extra time.
- With 0.5 seconds Tellqvist holds the NHL record as goalkeeper with the shortest operating time in a game. On 6 March 2006, there were in a game against the Montreal Canadiens half a second before the finish with the score at 5-3 for Toronto again an interruption. Toronto's first-choice goalkeeper Ed Belfour thought that the game was over and went into the cabin. Tellqvist took his place in goal for the remainder of the season.
Awards and achievements
- Olympic champion in 2006
- Elitserien - Champion 2000 and 2001
- Elitserien Rookie of the Year 2000