Karl Magnus Svensson Pääjärvi (born 12 April 1991), surname also known as Pääjärvi-Svensson, is a Swedish professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
left winger
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
, currently playing for
Timrå IK
Timrå IK is a professional Swedish ice hockey team based in Timrå, north of Sundsvall. It competes in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), which is the top-tier league in Sweden, since being promoted by winning 2021 SHL qualifiers. Previous sea ...
of the
Swedish Hockey League
The Swedish Hockey League (SHL; ) is a professional ice hockey league in Sweden and the highest level of the ice hockey in Sweden, Swedish ice hockey system. The league currently consists of 14 teams. The league was founded in 1975, and while Li ...
(SHL). During his NHL career, Pääjärvi played for the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
,
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
and
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
. He was drafted 10th overall in the
2009 NHL Entry Draft by the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
.
Early life
Pääjärvi is the son of former ice hockey player and coach
Gunnar Svensson and Ingrid Maria Svensson-Pääjärvi, and the younger brother of
Björn Svensson
Björn Svensson (born 16 June 1986) is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward, currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played for ERC Ingolstadt in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He is the older brother of Magnus Pääjär ...
. Magnus Pääjärvi was born in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
while his father Gunnar was the coach and manager of
IK Vita Hästen
IK or Ik may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* IK Investment Partners, a European private equity firm
* Imair Airlines (IATA code IK)
* Iparretarrak, a Basque nationalist organization
Languages
* Ik language (ISO 639 alpha-3 ikx), spoken ...
. Magnus uses the surname, formerly a hyphenated surname, in honour of his maternal grandfather, who was
Finnish.
Playing career
SHL
Pääjärvi began playing ice hockey at the age of six. During the 2005–06 season, as a 14-year-old, he made his debut for
Malmö Redhawks
The Malmö Redhawks (colloquially referred to simply as Malmö or by past abbreviation MIF) are a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Malmö which plays in the SHL, with Malmö Arena as the venue for home games.
The history of the te ...
in the
J20 SuperElit
J20 Nationell is a junior ice hockey league composed of 20 teams in Sweden. Previously known as the J20 SuperElit, it is the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden. The teams are divided in two groups, or divisions, ''Norra'' (North) ...
,
and scored eight goals in eight games during
TV-pucken
TV-pucken () is a Swedish national under-16 ice hockey tournament for district teams. The boys' TV-pucken was established in 1959, created on the initiative of Swedish ice hockey player Sven "Tumba" Johansson.
The tournament is named "TV-pucken ...
, leding Skåne to a silver medal. He also scored two goals when Malmö won the final of the Swedish Championship for 16-year-olds. In the following season, he played a steadier role for Malmö in the J20 SuperElit, and again led Skåne to a silver medal in TV-pucken.
In 2007, Pääjärvi signed with
Timrå IK
Timrå IK is a professional Swedish ice hockey team based in Timrå, north of Sundsvall. It competes in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), which is the top-tier league in Sweden, since being promoted by winning 2021 SHL qualifiers. Previous sea ...
, where his older brother,
Björn Svensson
Björn Svensson (born 16 June 1986) is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward, currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played for ERC Ingolstadt in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He is the older brother of Magnus Pääjär ...
, played for the senior team. On 24 September, Pääjärvi made his
Elitserien debut at the age of 16, five months and 12 days, becoming the fourth-youngest player in the Elitserien's history. In the game, he recorded an assist on Timrå's opening goal in the first period of play. His first career goal was a game winner in a 1–0 game against
HV71
HV71 (), often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the first tier of Swedish ice hockey. The team played in the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League ...
on 16 February 2008, assisted by linemate
Anton Lander
Sven Anton Lander (born April 24, 1991) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre for Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Lander was drafted in the second round, 40th overall, at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
Play ...
.

Pääjärvi was later drafted in the first round, tenth overall, by the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
in the
2009 NHL Entry Draft.
He was also selected 19th overall by the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs based in Russia (20), Belarus (1), Kazakhstan (1), and China (1) for a total of 23 clubs.
It was considered in ...
(KHL)'s
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Hockey Club Lokomotiv (, ), also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a professional ice hockey club based in Yaroslavl, Russia. It is a member of the Tarasov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The name of the team is derived from its ...
in the
2009 KHL Entry Draft
The 2009 KHL Junior Draft was the first entry draft held by the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), taking place on June 1, 2009. Twenty-three teams would take part in the draft, selecting ice hockey players from around the world aged between 17 an ...
.
Pääjärvi was announced as a nominee for
2009–10 Elitserien Rookie of the Year
SHL Rookie of the Year () is an annual award in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), presented by Svenska Spel since the 1989–90 season. Djurgårdens IF
Djurgårdens Idrottsförening, commonly known simply as Djurgårdens IF, Djurgården (), a ...
on 20 January.
NHL
Edmonton Oilers
On 2 June 2010, Pääjärvi signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers ahead of the
2010–11 season.
On 2 September, Pääjärvi announced that he would be shortening his surname on his NHL jersey from "Pääjärvi-Svensson," as was hitherto written, to simply "Pääjärvi," and that he will wear the jersey number 91.
On 23 September, in his first pre-season game with Edmonton, Pääjärvi scored a hat-trick and registered an assist for four points as the Oilers defeated the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
, 5–2. On 7 October, Pääjärvi made his NHL regular season debut 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. The ...
. He then scored his first career NHL goal nine days later, on 16 October, against Flames goaltender
Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff (; born October 26, 1976), nicknamed "Kipper", is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames between 2000 and 2013. He was select ...
. Pääjärvi finished his rookie season with 34 points, finishing sixth on the team in scoring.
In the
2011–12 season, after recording three points in 25 games and having sat-out as a healthy scratch for six games, Pääjärvi was assigned to Edmonton's
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Oklahoma City Barons
The Oklahoma City Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team's first season was 2010–11 AHL season, 2010–11. They played their home games at the Cox Convention Center, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
...
.
During the
2012–13 NHL lockout
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to ...
, Pääjärvi remained with Oklahoma in the AHL. When play resumed in January 2013 for the 48-game
2012–13 season, Pääjärvi played in 42 games, scoring nine goals and seven assists for 16 points, while also spending further time during the season with the Barons.
St. Louis Blues
On 10 July 2013, Pääjärvi was traded, along with a second-round pick, to the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
in exchange for left winger
David Perron
David Perron (born May 28, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Growing up in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Perron played his junior hockey for the Lewiston Maineiacs of the Queb ...
. Later in the off-season, on 2 August, Pääjärvi signed a two-year, $2.4 million contract with St. Louis.
On 29 December 2014, the Blues placed Pääjärvi on
waivers and, upon clearing, was assigned to St. Louis' AHL affiliate, the
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena ...
, where he remained until the end of the
2014–15 season. Prior to his demotion, he had played in ten games, registering just one assist. Following the
2014–15 NHL season
The 2014–15 NHL season was the 98th season of operation (97th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Phoenix Coyotes changed their name to the Arizona Coyotes prior to the season.
The Los Angeles Kings became the first team ...
, Pääjärvi became a restricted free agent under the
NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is the basic contract between the National Hockey League (NHL) (32 team owners and NHL commissioner) and the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA), designed to be arrived at through the typical labour–ma ...
. The St. Louis Blues made him a
qualifying offer
A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in some sports leagues, such as the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), and National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the term ...
to retain his NHL rights and, on 5 July 2015, Pääjärvi filed for Salary Arbitration.
Pääjärvi spent the majority of the
2015-16 season with the Blues, appearing in 48 games. Pääjärvi also skated in three
playoff
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
games.
2016-17 saw Pääjärvi have more of an even split, playing 32 games for the Blues and 26 for the Wolves. Again, Pääjärvi suited up for the Blues during the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, scoring one goal and two assists.
Ottawa Senators
On 25 January 2018, the Blues placed Pääjärvi on waivers, where he was claimed by the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
the following day. Pääjärvi finished out the season with 12 points in 79 games.
On 30 May 2018, the Senators signed Pääjärvi to a one-year, $900,000 contract extension. In his second and final season with Ottawa in
2018–19, Pääjärvi registered his highest points totals since his 2011 rookie season, contributing with 11 goals and 18 points in 80 games.
KHL
As a free agent leading into the
2019–20 season, Pääjärvi halted his NHL career to sign a two-year contract with Russian club,
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Hockey Club Lokomotiv (, ), also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a professional ice hockey club based in Yaroslavl, Russia. It is a member of the Tarasov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The name of the team is derived from its ...
of the KHL, on 22 October 2019.
In the midst of his final year under contract in the
2020–21 season, Pääjärvi added 3 goals and 11 points in 26 appearances before he was traded to
HC Dynamo Moscow
HC Dynamo Moscow () is a professional ice hockey club based in Moscow, Russia. It is a member of the Tarasov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Dynamo has won the Gagarin Cup twice, in 2011–12 KHL season, 2011–12 and 2012–13 ...
in exchange for
Teemu Pulkkinen
Teemu Pulkkinen (born 2 January 1992) is a Finland, Finnish professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger who currently plays for HK Poprad of the Slovak Extraliga. Pulkkinen was drafted 111th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2 ...
on 30 November 2020. In 24 games with Dynamo, Pääjärvi posted a further four goals and eight points.
International play
Pääjärvi made his international debut for Sweden at age 14 with the under-16 team during the 2005–06 season;
the following season, he became the scoring leader for the U16s. During the
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred to as the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (2008 WJHC), was the 32nd edition of the IIHF World U20 Championship, Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. The tournamement was held in ...
in
Pardubice
Pardubice (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Repub ...
and
Liberec
Liberec (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 108,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse River, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preserved and is pr ...
,
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
, at 16 years and eight months old, he became the youngest player ever to play for
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
during a
World Junior Hockey Championship
The IIHF World Junior Championship (WJC), sometimes referred to as World Juniors, is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world. It is traditionally ...
. During the tournament, he scored one goal, and helped Sweden to the finals when assisting
Mikael Backlund
Mikael Backlund (born 17 March 1989) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Backlund was a first round Draft (sports), select ...
on Sweden's overtime game-winning goal against
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
in the semifinal.
Pääjärvi played in the
2010 World Championships, where he led the senior
Swedish team in scoring and was selected to the tournament all-star team.
He contributed to Sweden's win at the
2018 World Championships by scoring three goals.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paajarvi, Magnus
1991 births
Living people
Chicago Wolves players
HC Dynamo Moscow players
Edmonton Oilers draft picks
Edmonton Oilers players
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl players
Malmö Redhawks players
NHL first-round draft picks
Oklahoma City Barons players
Ottawa Senators players
Sportspeople from Norrköping
Ice hockey people from Östergötland County
St. Louis Blues players
Swedish expatriate ice hockey players in Canada
Swedish expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Swedish ice hockey left wingers
21st-century Swedish sportsmen
Swedish people of Finnish descent
Timrå IK players