Roland Eriksson
Roland Eriksson (* March 1, 1954 in Stora Tuna ) is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player who in his playing days from 1969 to 1992 among others for the Minnesota North Stars and Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association has played.
- 2.1 International
Career
Roland Eriksson began his career as a hockey player in the junior section of IF Tunabro for which he was active from 1969 to 1971 in the second Swedish league, Division 2. After climbing to Division 1, he spent another three years IF Tunabro, where he in 1973 Årets Junior - Swedish Rookie of the Year - was. In the NHL Amateur Draft 1974, he was selected in the eighth round when a total of 131 players from the Minnesota North Stars. First, he remained in his native Sweden joined the season 1974/75 within the Division 1 to Leksand IF, with whom he won the Swedish championship title at first attempt. In the following season the Center took first at the new highest Swedish league, Elitserien, part and was elected to the inaugural season in the Swedish all-star team.
From 1976 to 1978 Eriksson was a regular for the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League. In both seasons, he was one of the Topscorern his team and scored in 160 games total 130 points scorer, 47 goals. He also took part in the 1978 NHL All-Star Game. On 7 June 1978, the Swede signed a contract as a free agent with Minnesota's league rival Vancouver Canucks. However, when the Canadians he was unable to repeat his previous performance, so they already entlissen him to the middle of the 1978/79 season back from his contract. The playing time he finally finished with the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association League competition. Then, the Swedish national team returned to Europe, where he first went aground in the 1979/80 season for his former club Leksand IF in the Elitserien. From 1980 to 1982 he was at the Düsseldorf issued in the Hockey league contract before he spent another two years at Leksand IF in the Elitserien.
In the summer of 1984, Eriksson was obliged by the Swedish second division HV 71 Jönköping, with whom he immediately achieved promotion to the Elitserien. In this, he spent another year before he in 1986 the second division Västerås IK joined. With this he also rose to the Elitserien in the season 1987/88. He spent the following season at third division IK Westmannia - Köpings. Then he paused for a year with the Hockey before he also stood in the 1991/92 season in the third-tier Division 2 at IFK Arboga IK under contract. After the season, he finished his career at the age of 38 years.
Internationally
For Sweden, Eriksson took at junior level at the Under-19 Junior European Championships 1971, 1972 and 1973 and the U20 Junior World Cup in 1974 in part. In addition, he stood at senior level in the squad of his country at the World Championships in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1983, and in 1976 the Canada Cup.
Awards and achievements
Internationally
Statistics
Family
Eriksson's son Fredrik and his brother Anders Björklund were also professional hockey players.