Eddie Läck (born 5 January 1988) is a Swedish retired professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
coach and former player. He serves as an assistant head coach of the
Arizona State Sun Devils
The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams that represent Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member ...
, and is also currently a real estate agent in the Scottsdale, Arizona region. Läck, a
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
, played in Sweden for
Leksands IF
Leksands Idrottsförening is a Swedish ice hockey team from the town of Leksand in the region of Dalarna. The team plays in the top-tier league, SHL, after succeeding through the 2019 SHL qualifiers and thus earning promotion to the SHL. The c ...
of the
HockeyAllsvenskan
HockeyAllsvenskan (previously Allsvenskan and SuperAllsvenskan) is a professional ice hockey league, and the second-highest league in the Swedish ice hockey system (after the SHL). Since the 2009–10 season, the league consists of fourteen team ...
and
Brynäs IF
Brynäs IF is a Swedish ice hockey team from Gävle. The club currently plays in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the top tier of ice hockey in Sweden. The club has played in the top-tier league since 1960, longer than any other team.
History
B ...
of the
Elitserien before moving to the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) where he played for the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
,
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
,
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
and
New Jersey Devils. After going undrafted in the
2009 NHL Entry Draft, he signed as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the Vancouver Canucks in 2010. He was assigned to the
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets ...
in his first season with the Canucks organization and was named to the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
's
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
All-Rookie Team. He is nicknamed "The Stork", in reference to his tall stature and long legs.
Playing career
Sweden
![Eddie Lack cropped](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Eddie_Lack_cropped.jpg)
Läck spent his
minor hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...
career with his hometown team, Norrtälje IK. He also competed in two
TV-pucken
TV-pucken ( en, the TV puck) is a Swedish national ice hockey tournament for district teams of boys under 15 years of age. Since 2019, girls also compete in TV-pucken with their own tournament. It was created on the initiative of Swedish ice hockey ...
tournaments – an annual under-16 national competition – with
Stockholm's second regional team.
He entered the
junior
Junior or Juniors may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959
* ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009
* ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010
* ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019
Films
* ''Junior'' (1994 ...
ranks with
Djurgårdens IF
Djurgårdens Idrottsförening, commonly known simply as Djurgårdens IF, Djurgården (), and (especially locally) Djurgår'n (), Dif or DIF – is a Swedish sports association with several sections, located in Stockholm.
Name
The club is name ...
's organization in 2004–05 and helped the club to a J18 Allsvenskan silver medal.
[ Two years later, he joined ]Leksands IF
Leksands Idrottsförening is a Swedish ice hockey team from the town of Leksand in the region of Dalarna. The team plays in the top-tier league, SHL, after succeeding through the 2019 SHL qualifiers and thus earning promotion to the SHL. The c ...
at the J20 level.
Läck made his professional debut with Leksands IF's men's team in the HockeyAllsvenskan
HockeyAllsvenskan (previously Allsvenskan and SuperAllsvenskan) is a professional ice hockey league, and the second-highest league in the Swedish ice hockey system (after the SHL). Since the 2009–10 season, the league consists of fourteen team ...
, Sweden's second-highest league, appearing in three games in 2006–07. The following campaign, he appeared in 26 HockeyAllsvenskan games, recording a 1.96 goals against average
Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending ...
(GAA), while still seeing playing time in junior. In 2008–09, he fully established himself with Leksands IF's professional team, outplaying former NHL goaltender Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour (born April 21, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of ...
as the club's starter.[ He posted a 2.02 GAA and .930 ]save percentage
Save percentage (often known by such symbols as SV%, SVS%, SVP, PCT) is a statistic in various goal-scoring sports that track saves as a statistic.
In ice hockey and lacrosse, it is a statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal ...
in 32 games.[
Going into the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he was ranked ninth among European goaltenders by the ]NHL Central Scouting Bureau The NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS) is a department within the National Hockey League that ranks prospects for the NHL Entry Draft at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate to the profe ...
, but went unselected.[ After three seasons with the Leksands IF organization, Läck moved up to the Elitserien, Sweden's premiere league, signing a two-year contract with ]Brynäs IF
Brynäs IF is a Swedish ice hockey team from Gävle. The club currently plays in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the top tier of ice hockey in Sweden. The club has played in the top-tier league since 1960, longer than any other team.
History
B ...
on 6 July 2009.[ He made his Elitserien debut on 17 October, relieving Jacob Markström (who at the time was a Florida Panthers prospect) near the end of the first period. He stopped all 18 shots he faced in a 3–2 loss to ]Färjestad BK
Färjestad Bollklubb (; abbreviated as FBK) is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Karlstad. Färjestad has had 21 Swedish Championship final appearances, winning ten times since the Swedish Hockey League (SHL; formerly Elitserien) ...
.[ Läck went on to play in 14 games as a backup to Markström, registering a 2.67 GAA and .911 save percentage.]
Manitoba Moose/Chicago Wolves
Läck's play garnered the attention of Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
scout Lars Lindgren[ and in the off-season, he was signed by the Canucks to a two-year, entry-level contract on 6 April 2010.] He subsequently left Sweden to begin playing within the Canucks organization.[ Assigned to the ]Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets ...
, the Canucks' minor league affiliate, he made his American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL) debut on 9 October, making 23 saves in a 5–2 win over the Rockford IceHogs
The Rockford IceHogs are a professional ice hockey team based in Rockford, Illinois. They are members of the American Hockey League (AHL), having begun play in the League starting in the 2007–08 season. The team plays their home games at the ...
. Competing for playing time with fellow Moose goaltender Tyler Weiman
Tyler Ray Weiman (born June 5, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Avalanche.
Playing career
Weiman was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He was d ...
, Läck emerged as the team's starter, appearing in 53 games (28 wins, 21 losses and 4 overtime or shootout losses). With a 2.26 GAA (ranked seventh in the league) and .926 save percentage (fourth in the league), Läck was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team. During the 2011 Calder Cup playoffs, he helped the Moose to the second round, recording a 1.99 GAA and .932 save percentage in 12 games. Following the Manitoba's elimination to the Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Centre. They were purcha ...
, Läck was called up to the Canucks on 13 May 2011,[ to travel and practice with the team as a playoff reserve. Vancouver advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals and lost to the ]Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
in seven games.
Positioned behind Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo (, , ; born April 4, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and the Vancouver Canucks. Luongo is a two ...
and Cory Schneider
Cory Franklin Schneider (born March 18, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Bridgeport Islanders in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). H ...
(joint winners of the 2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
William M. Jennings Trophy) on the Canucks' depth chart, Läck was assigned to the AHL for a second season in 2011–12. Due to the Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
' return to the NHL, the Moose franchise was relocated to St. John's, Newfoundland
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
; as a result, the Canucks switched their AHL affiliation to the Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League and are the top minor-league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the C ...
. Läck made his Wolves debut on 8 October 2011, stopping 31 of 33 shots in a 3–2 shootout loss to the San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was sold ...
. He recorded his first win and shutout with Chicago three games later on 21 October against the Rockford IceHogs. The following month, Läck was called up by Vancouver after starting goaltender Roberto Luongo sustained an injury. He dressed for his first NHL game on 16 November 2011, backing up Cory Schneider in a loss against the Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
before being reassigned the following day.[ He finished the season in Chicago posting a 21–20–3 record with a 2.31 GAA and a .925 save percentage. By season's end, he, along with backup Matt Climie, helped set a Wolves franchise record for lowest team goals against average at 2.54. Läck's second season with the Wolves started slowly, as his numbers dropped significantly from the previous season. He had been playing with a ]hip flexor
A flexor is a muscle that flexes a joint. In anatomy, flexion (from the Latin verb ''flectere'', to bend) is a joint movement that decreases the angle between the bones that converge at the joint. For example, one’s elbow joint flexes when one ...
injury and a decision was made to rest him to allow the injury to heal. The injury eventually required surgery which ended Läck's season. He finished the year playing in 13 games posting a 7–4–1 record with a 3.00 GAA and an .899 save percentage.
Vancouver Canucks
Läck was named the Canucks' backup goaltender to start the 2013–14 season, and made his first appearance – and recorded his first win – on 6 October 2013, with a 5–4 overtime win against the Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
. On 15 November, despite Läck having only made five NHL appearances to date, the Canucks re-signed him to a two-year contract extension worth a total of U.S.$2.3 million. He would record his first NHL shutout in his home ice debut against the Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
on 9 December 2013.
On 4 March 2014, starting goaltender Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo (, , ; born April 4, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and the Vancouver Canucks. Luongo is a two ...
was traded to the Florida Panthers, along with minor leaguer Steven Anthony, for Swedish goaltender Jacob Markström and forward Shawn Matthias, making Läck and Markström (who played together for Brynäs IF
Brynäs IF is a Swedish ice hockey team from Gävle. The club currently plays in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the top tier of ice hockey in Sweden. The club has played in the top-tier league since 1960, longer than any other team.
History
B ...
) the goaltending tandem for the Canucks, and making Läck an NHL starter for the first time in his career. That summer, however, the Canucks signed Ryan Miller
Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...
as their starter, but when Miller was hurt in late February 2015, Läck excelled and allowed the Canucks to maintain their playoff position, even starting the Canucks' first few playoff games. Läck recorded his first Stanley Cup playoff victory 17 April 2015, with a 4–1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Läck remained in net until he was pulled in Game 4 in Calgary, at which point Miller returned. The Canucks went on to lose their first-round matchup with Calgary in 6 games.
Carolina Hurricanes
On 27 June 2015, Läck was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for a 2015 third round pick and a 2016 seventh round pick. Prior to making his debut with the Hurricanes, he was signed to a two-year $5.5 million contract extension through to 2018 on 3 October 2015.
Calgary Flames
On 29 June 2017, Läck was traded by the Hurricanes along with Ryan Murphy and a 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
seventh-round pick to the Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
in exchange for prospect Keegan Kanzig and a sixth-round pick in 2019. On 23 November 2017, Läck was placed on waivers by the Flames with the intention of assigning him to the Flames' AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat. He was later assigned to the Heat on 24 November 2017.
New Jersey Devils
On 30 December 2017, Läck was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenceman Dalton Prout, and was immediately assigned to the team's AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils
The Binghamton Devils were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2017 to 2021 as the top minor league affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s New Jersey Devils. Based in Binghamton, New Y ...
. He was recalled to the NHL on 4 February 2018, to replace Ken Appleby
Ken Appleby (born April 10, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Worcester Railers in the ECHL while under contract to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously pla ...
, and made his first start as a Devil on 11 February against the Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
. On 17 February 2018, Läck made a career-high 48 saves in a 4–3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
.
Läck did not play any games for New Jersey during the 2018–19 season, only skating in a mere six games for Binghamton. He underwent hip surgery in December, effectively ending his season.
On 30 March 2020, Läck announced his retirement from professional hockey following a hiatus.
International play
Läck was added to the Swedish national team in preparation for the 2017 IIHF World Championship
The 2017 IIHF World Championship, the 2017 edition of the annual Ice Hockey World Championships, was held from 5 to 21 May 2017 in Cologne, Germany and Paris, France. The official tournament mascots were Asterix and Obelix, the main characters ...
in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
/France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Originally slated in the backup role to Viktor Fasth, Läck made his international debut in the round-robin stage, posting a 19-save shutout in a 2–0 victory over Latvia on 11 May 2017. With the addition of starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist
Henrik Lundqvist (; born 2 March 1982) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played his entire 15-season career with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Before winning the Vezina Trophy in 2012, he ...
to the roster mid-tournament, Läck was subsequently demoted as Sweden's third-choice. He didn't add to his debut game as Sweden claimed the gold medal in a 2–1 shootout victory over Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
on 21 May 2017.
Coaching career and post-career
On 14 August 2019, Läck announced that he would be taking a break from playing ice hockey to focus on rehabbing his hip injury, and accepted a position as goaltender coach for Arizona State University.
Lack is now living in Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
with his wife Johanna, where he is also a real estate agent.
Playing style
Läck is a big goaltender who uses his size to his advantage looking through traffic to see the puck, and aggressively challenging shooters.[ Despite his size he has good lateral movement, covers the bottom of the net well,][ has good balance, and is positionally sound.][
]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lack, Eddie
1988 births
Binghamton Devils players
Brynäs IF players
Calgary Flames players
Carolina Hurricanes players
Charlotte Checkers (2010–) players
Chicago Wolves players
Leksands IF players
Living people
Manitoba Moose players
New Jersey Devils players
People from Norrtälje
Stockton Heat players
Swedish expatriate ice hockey people
Swedish expatriate sportspeople in Canada
Swedish expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Swedish ice hockey goaltenders
Swedish ice hockey players
Undrafted National Hockey League players
Vancouver Canucks players
Sportspeople from Stockholm County