Markus Näslund Markus Näslund ( born July 30 , 1973 ) is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player . He previously played in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) for the Pittsburgh Penguins , Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers , as well as with Modo Hockey of Elitserien from 1990 until 2010 , with the longest stretch played for the Canucks . He is currently a member of the board for Modo Hockey . He was nicknamed " Nazzy " by Canucks fans and is referred to as " Macke " or " Mackan " in his native Sweden . Originally drafted in the first round by the Penguins , Näslund was traded to Vancouver in 1996 , where he spent twelve years , including seven as team captain . He was named team MVP five times and led the team in scoring for seven consecutive seasons — both team records — en route to becoming the franchise leader in goals and points . In 2008 , Näslund signed with the Rangers , where he spent one season before announcing his retirement from the NHL on May 4 , 2009 . In 15 NHL seasons , Näslund was a three - time First Team All - Star , chosen in 2002 , 2003 and 2004 , and a Lester B . Pearson Award - recipient , winning in 2003 . He was also a Hart Memorial Trophy nominee in 2003 . Internationally , Näslund has represented Sweden on many occasions , winning two bronze medals and a silver at the World Championships , as well as two silvers as a junior at the World Junior Championships , where he holds the record for most goals scored in a single tournament . Early life . Näslund was born to Ulla and Sture Näslund on July 30 , 1973 , in Örnsköldsvik , Sweden , the same town that produced childhood friend and NHL star Peter Forsberg ( who would be Näslund ' s teammate for numerous stints with Modo Hockey ) , as well as Näslund ' s former Canucks teammates , Henrik and Daniel Sedin . Growing up , he idolized Swedish NHL and Elitserien star Håkan Loob . During his youth , he played most of his organized hockey on an outdoor rink in his neighbourhood . It is said that the team practiced as the temperature often dipped to minus - 15 Celsius and if it began to snow , half the team was designated to shovel , while the other half continued to play . By seven years old , Näslund and Forsberg , who were born within 10 days of each other , were well - acquainted with one another playing on separate teams . By the age of 14 , the two were playing together on the same regional all - star team , helping their squad win a national championship . Näslund and Forsberg would also go on to play with each other , often on the same line , at the junior and senior level with Modo and the Swedish national team . In addition to attending the same high school together , as well , Näslund and Forsberg had summer jobs at the age of 18 with the same electrical company that employed Näslund ' s mother Ulla and Forsberg ' s father Kent . Playing career . Early career . Näslund began playing professionally at 15 years old with an Örnsköldsvik - based team in Sweden ' s third - tier league for 14 games , a stint in which he scored seven goals and 13 points . The following season , in 1989 – 90 , Näslund joined the Modo Hockey organization , playing in Sweden ' s highest - level junior league , the J20 SuperElit , where he and Peter Forsberg formed one of the most dangerous lines in the league . After a season of junior , Näslund joined Modo ' s senior team in the Swedish Elitserien in 1990 – 91 . He recorded 10 goals and 19 points in his rookie season , a mark which stood as the highest points toal for a 17 year old in the history of the league for 12 years until Robert Nilsson broke the record in 2002 – 03 with 21 . In the off - season , Näslund was drafted 16th overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins . Penguins general manager Craig Patrick hailed Näslund , along with teammate Forsberg , as the draft ' s two top prospects behind top selection Eric Lindros . He compared Näslund to Los Angeles Kings forward and fellow Swede Tomas Sandström with the exception that " he ' s not as chippy , " and claimed that he was as purer goal scorer than Penguins superstar Jaromir Jagr , who had just completed his rookie year with the club . Näslund remained in Sweden with Modo for two more years . He recorded his first of back - to - back 39 - point seasons to lead the team in scoring in 1991 – 92 . The following season , he helped lead Modo to the quarter - finals of the Eliterserien playoffs . Following the 1992 – 93 season with Modo , Näslund was set to become a free agent in the NHL . At the time , an agreement between the NHL and Swedish ice hockey officials forbade Swedish players from joining the NHL for a year unless an NHL contract was signed by July 1 . With the deadline looming , Näslund filed a federal lawsuit in a Newark court claiming that the NHL - Swedish agreement could not override the terms of the collective bargaining agreement ( CBA ) with the NHL Players Association ( NHLPA ) that allowed him to play the upcoming season . As the deadline passed , Näslund ended up a free agent . Considered a top prospect , he did not , however , receive any offers from teams , possibly due to an apparent Penguins promise to match any offer . Näslund and the Penguins eventually managed to agree on a deal on September 9 , 1993 , worth $ 2 . 5 million over 3 years , including a $ 600 , 000 signing bonus . With his first NHL contract , Näslund made his Penguins debut , joining the team in 1993 – 94 . His first NHL goal came against Curtis Joseph of the St . Louis Blues , 13 games into his rookie campaign . Upon entering the NHL with the Penguins , however , Näslund struggled to find his form and was admittedly frustrated with himself . Although he consistently showed promise in training camp and in practices , his play in games was inconsistent , earning him the nickname " Mr . September " in Pittsburgh . As a result , he was demoted to the Penguins ' International Hockey League ( IHL ) affiliate , the Cleveland Lumberjacks , on several occasions . He finished his rookie season with only four goals and seven assists despite playing in 71 games . The following season , Näslund only appeared in 14 games , partially due to the 1994 – 95 labour dispute , scoring four points . Due to the departures of All - Star left - wingers Kevin Stevens and Luc Robitaille from the Penguins , Näslund was moved to left wing for the first time in his career in 1995 – 96 . Playing on a line with team captain and future Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux , Näslund began to improve in his third NHL season , contributing more offensively . He recorded his first multi - goal game and hat trick early in the campaign on November 28 , 1995 , in a 7 – 2 win over the Ottawa Senators . By mid - December , he was leading the league in plus - minus with a + 30 rating through 27 games . However , what appeared to be a breakout season for Näslund slowed down by February , as he was scratched on several occasions and was demoted to the third and fourth lines . In the final year of his contract , he was the subject of trade rumours and on March 20 , 1996 , he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Alek Stojanov . This trade would later be regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history once Näslund displayed his offensive capabilities . Going pointless in his first nine games with his new club , Näslund recorded a hat trick in the last game of the regular season , a 5 – 0 win over the Calgary Flames on April 13 , 1996 , that put the Canucks into the playoffs . In the off - season , he was re - signed by the Canucks on August 8 , 1996 . In his first two seasons with the Canucks , Näslund ' s offensive output did not change significantly . At the start of the 1997 – 98 season , coach Mike Keenan scratched a healthy Näslund , prompting Näslund to ask the team for a trade . However , the request was denied . It was during this time that Näslund had second thoughts about an NHL career and considered moving back to Sweden . The following season , Näslund led the Canucks in scoring during a period of rebuilding for the franchise . His 36 goals and 66 points were vast improvements over the 14 goals and 34 points from the previous season . He also earned the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the Canucks ' MVP — his first of five during his tenure with Vancouver — as well as his first of two team Most Exciting Player Award s . In the off - season , he was re - signed by the Canucks to a three - year , $ 7 . 2 million contract . West Coast Express . At the Canucks ' training camp in Sweden , prior to the 2000 – 01 NHL season , general manager Brian Burke named Näslund captain of the Canucks , making Näslund the first European - born captain in Canucks history . His predecessor as team captain , Hall of Famer Mark Messier has been cited by Näslund as his greatest playing influence , having played alongside him the previous three seasons . In his first year as team captain , Näslund continued to improve and was statistically among the league - leaders in goals and points during the campaign . However , with the Canucks in the middle of a late - season push for a playoff spot , Näslund suffered a knee - injury with ten games left on March 16 , 2001 , in a game against the Buffalo Sabres . Chasing a loose puck in the third period , he was hit by Sabres defencemen Jay McKee and Rhett Warrener simultaneously , falling awkwardly on his right leg . Requiring surgery to repair the broken tibia and fibula bones in his leg , Näslund was sidelined for the season . His 41 goals at the time of the injury was tied for third in the league , while his 75 points was eleventh . Without Näslund in the lineup , the Canucks still managed to secure the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference , but were swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche in four games . Set to enter the final year of his contract , Näslund re - signed with the Canucks on June 28 , 2001 , to a three - year extension . He spent the off - season rehabilitating his leg , which was held together with a titanium rod and screws following surgery , in his private gym in his hometown of Ornskoldsvik . He returned from his injury the following season , setting a new personal best with a 90 - point season which included 40 goals in 2001 – 02 . An 8 - goal , 21 - point effort in 14 games in the month of January earned him NHL Player of the Month honours , while several days later , at the 2002 NHL All - Star Game in Los Angeles , Näslund scored the game winning goal to lead the World team over North America by an 8 – 5 score . The season marked the beginning of what was widely considered the most effective line combination in the league for several seasons . Näslund and Bertuzzi had already formed a duo as wingers on the Canucks top line for more than two seasons when head coach Marc Crawford added centreman Brendan Morrison in a game on January 9 , 2002 . Finishing the remainder of the season together , Bertuzzi and Morrison tallied 85 and 67 points , respectively , to complement Näslund ' s 90 . The high - scoring trio was dubbed the West Coast Express , named after Vancouver ' s commuter rail service of the same name . In 2002 – 03 , with the West Coast Express line intact for a full season , Näslund finished second overall in NHL scoring with a career high 48 goals and 104 points . Early in the season , he scored his eighth career NHL hat trick , scoring all three goals in a mere seven - minute span in the second period of a 5 – 2 win over the San Jose Sharks on October 21 , 2002 . On December 14 , 2002 , he scored a career - high four goals in a 6 – 3 win over the Edmonton Oilers . Named to his third consecutive All - Star Game in 2003 , where he was joined by teammates Bertuzzi , Ed Jovanovski and head coach Crawford , Näslund scored a goal in the first shootout in the history of the All - Star Game to help the Western Conference defeat the East 6 – 5 . Later that month , in February , Näslund registered another career - high game with a six - point night ( one goal , five assists ) in an 8 – 0 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on February 24 , 2003 . The win extended the Canucks ' franchise record - setting unbeaten streak to 14 games . Näslund ' s linemates also turned in career seasons as Bertuzzi recorded 97 points for fifth place in league scoring , while Morrison tallied 71 . Together , the trio accounted for 45 % of the Canucks ' 264 goals . The season culminated with Näslund winning the Lester B . Pearson Award as the players ' choice for top player . By beating out Forsberg and Boston Bruins centre Joe Thornton , he became the first Swedish - born recipient of the award . A finalist for the Hart Trophy as league MVP , as well , Näslund finished as first runner - up to Forsberg . However , despite these achievements , the season ended disappointingly . The Canucks lost their final game of the regular season to the Los Angeles Kings , and along with it , the Northwest Division championship to the Colorado Avalanche . Näslund had also began the night as the league ' s leading scorer , but lost the Art Ross and Rocket Richard trophies to Avalanche forwards Peter Forsberg , who recorded three points that night , and Milan Hejduk . After the game , Näslund apologized to the sellout home crowd , to the point of saying that the team " choked . " Vancouver won its first round playoff matchup against the St . Louis Blues in seven games after trailing three games to one . The Canucks then lost to the Minnesota Wild in the next round , failing to finish off a 3 – 1 series lead of their own . Näslund finished the playoffs with 14 points in 14 games . The following season , Näslund led the Canucks in scoring for the sixth - straight season in 2003 – 04 , finishing with 35 goals and 84 points . He was briefly sidelined in early - December due to a groin injury , but returned to match a personal best for goals in one game , scoring all the Canucks ' four goals in a 4 – 3 overtime win against his former team , the Pittsburgh Penguins , on December 9 , 2003 . Named to his fifth and final All - Star Game in 2004 , he was named team captain of the Western Conference in Minnesota . Near the end of the season , Näslund and the Canucks became the centre of attention among sports circles with the Steve Moore incident . On February 16 , 2004 , Näslund sustained a minor concussion after Colorado forward Steve Moore delivered a questionable hit on Näslund at centre ice . Replays appeared to show that Moore hit Näslund ' s head with his elbow and shoulder , but referees did not call a penalty . Näslund , who at the time was the league ' s leading scorer , required 13 stitches and was sidelined for three games . He also suffered a hyper - extended elbow when he fell to the ice , which he played with through the remainder of the regular season and playoffs . As the Canucks and Avalanche met again in a game on March 8 , linemate Bertuzzi retaliated to the hit on Näslund and punched Moore in the back of the head after shadowing him around the ice late in the third period . Moore was severely injured and the Canucks lost Bertuzzi for the remainder of the season to an indefinite suspension . A close friend of Bertuzzi ' s , Näslund was deeply affected by the incident , as subsequent lawsuits and public scrutiny took a toll on Bertuzzi ' s career . Several years later , Näslund stated , " It still bothers me what Todd has had to go through . . . There ' s no question he was standing up for me . . . it all went too far . " Despite the absence of Bertuzzi , Näslund led the Canucks to the Northwest Division title that they had squandered the previous season . The division title placed the Canucks third in the Western Conference standings and set them against the sixth placed Calgary Flames in the playoffs . The best - of - seven quarter - finals series between the two teams lasted to a seventh and deciding game . With the Canucks down a goal and less than a minute to go , Calgary captain Jarome Iginla missed on an empty net attempt . Näslund seized the opportunity to rush the puck up the ice past two defenders , creating a play that winger Matt Cooke , who replaced Bertuzzi on the top line , finished to tie the game with six seconds left in regulation time . However , as the game was forced into overtime , the Flames eliminated the Canucks a minute and a half into the extra period on the powerplay . Näslund finished the playoffs with nine points in the seven games . During the NHL labour conflict , he returned to his hometown team Modo Hockey of the Elitserien , joining Vancouver teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin , as well as former Modo teammate Peter Forsberg . He was originally expected to sign with Modo before the season started , but eventually returned to Vancouver after spending the summer in Sweden . Vancouver radio - station the Team 1040 cited high tax premiums explaining the decision , while Näslund later reasoned that he preferred to be readily available for the NHL , just in case the season could be salvaged . He announced his return in mid - January , in order to meet the January 31 player - transfer deadline for European clubs , and played his first game for Modo in nearly 12 years on January 20 , 2005 , receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd . Due to his late decision to join the team , Näslund appeared in only 13 games , managing 17 points . Post - lockout . As NHL play was set to resumed in 2005 – 06 , Näslund became an unrestricted free agent on August 1 , 2005 . On the open market for several days , he re - signed with the Canucks for three more years on August 3 , 2005 , at $ 6 million per season . Vancouver newspaper " The Province " reported that two other teams had offered deals that matched the contract he signed , but Näslund ultimately chose to remain with the Canucks because he felt the club had a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup . At the time , Näslund said he hoped to retire as a Canuck . For a franchise record seventh consecutive season , he led the Canucks in scoring , with 32 goals and 79 points . With the new rules set in place by the NHL after the lockout , however , it was assumed by many that players like Näslund would thrive , especially given the Canucks ' up - tempo style of play . In fact , as a line , the West Coast Express trio all suffered drops in their offensive stats in 2005 – 06 . Furthermore , the Canucks failed to make the playoffs for the first time in Näslund ' s tenure as team captain , finishing ninth place in the West . Consequently , many changes to team personnel were expected in the off - season . Longtime linemate Bertuzzi was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for goaltender Roberto Luongo and defence - minded coach Alain Vigneault replaced Marc Crawford as the Canucks ' head coach . In the 2006 – 07 home opener against San Jose , Näslund scored his 300th goal as a Canuck , tying teammate and Canucks veteran Trevor Linden for the franchise lead and overtaking him later in the season . However , Näslund ' s offensive production began to dip in 2006 – 07 , due in part to Bertuzzi ' s departure and coach Vigneault ' s introduction of a defence - first system . Näslund completed the season with 60 points , his lowest output since 1997 – 98 . Teammate Daniel Sedin had 84 points , marking the first time in seven seasons that Näslund did not lead the team in scoring . In the post - season , Näslund contributed five points before the team was eliminated by eventual Stanley Cup champions , the Anaheim Ducks , in the Conference semi - finals . In 2007 – 08 , Näslund set several more career marks . On November 21 , 2007 , Näslund scored his 11th career hat - trick and tied the Canucks ' franchise record for most hat - tricks with ten . The hat - trick was his first since December 2003 . Several games later , on December 5 , Näslund became the Canucks ' franchise leading scorer , assisting on defenceman Mattias Öhlund ' s goal and passing Linden with 725 points . Later in the season , on January 17 , 2008 , Näslund played his 1 , 000th career game against the Detroit Red Wings , scoring a goal in a 3 – 2 shootout loss . He became just the seventh Swedish - born player to reach the 1 , 000 - game mark . Näslund finished the season with 55 points and was admittedly frustrated with Vigneault ' s defensive coaching style . As July 1 and free agency approached , Näslund made it clear that the style of play and the player personnel of a team would be important factors in determining which team he would sign with after his contract with the Canucks expired . After the departure of Todd Bertuzzi in 2006 , Vigneault failed to find consistent linemates for Näslund in his final two years with the club . As a result , he played on a myriad of line combinations , often with unestablished NHL players . While he did not rule out the possibility of returning to Vancouver , he sold his Vancouver home and described his return as questionable . New York Rangers . Näslund signed a two - year , $ 8 million contract with the New York Rangers on July 3 , 2008 , leaving Vancouver as the franchise ' s leading point and goal scorer . Upon signing , he revealed New York was his preferred destination heading into free agency , but also admitted leaving Vancouver was a difficult choice . On October 1 , 2008 , Näslund won the Victoria Cup with the New York Rangers by defeating Metallurg Magnitogorsk by the score of 4 - 3 . Näslund was named an alternate captain to Chris Drury for the Rangers . The next day , he scored his first goal as a Ranger in the NHL ' s European season opener at the O2 Arena in Prague , Czech Republic , against the Tampa Bay Lightning . In his only season with the Rangers , Näslund led the team in goal scoring with 24 goals and was fourth in points , having tallied 46 . After adding three points in the playoffs , he announced his retirement from the NHL on May 4 , 2009 , at age 35 . Näslund had informed Rangers general manager Glen Sather , head coach John Tortorella and his teammates of his intention to retire prior to the team ' s first - round elimination against the Washington Capitals . By announcing his retirement early in the off - season , he forfeited the $ 2 million buyout from the second year of his contract ( valued at $ 3 million ) that would have been required of the Rangers had he deferred the official announcement . Return to Modo and retirement . Following his retirement from the NHL , Näslund returned to Sweden with his family . In the meantime , childhood friend Peter Forsberg was attempting a return to the NHL for the 2009 – 10 season , playing with Modo and the Swedish national team for conditioning purposes . Among the NHL teams interested were the Vancouver Canucks . Näslund had previously tried recruiting Forsberg to play for the Canucks prior to the 2007 – 08 season , when Forsberg was an unrestricted free agent , without any luck . Weighing in on Forsberg ' s possible NHL return , Näslund speculated that Forsberg would remain in Sweden to continue playing for Modo . Several days later , Canucks general manager Mike Gillis confirmed Näslund ' s speculation , asserting that Forsberg intended on finishing the season with Modo . The following day , on November 17 , 2009 , Näslund announced he was coming out of retirement to join Forsberg with Modo for the remainder of the 2009 – 10 Elitserien season . The announcement crashed the Modo web server as a result of the heavy volume of people visiting the site . A board member of the club , Näslund said he would play without a salary , along with Forsberg . Eleven days after the announcement , Näslund played in his first game back with Modo on November 28 , registering an assist on the first goal of the game by Forsberg . Modo won the game 4 – 1 over Rögle BK . The following game , on December 1 , he registered two assists , setting up the game - tying goal with two seconds remaining in regulation by team captain Per Svartvadet and the overtime winner by Forsberg . He scored his first goal since his return on December 8 in a 4 – 1 win over HV 71 . On February 27 , he notched a hat trick against Färjestads BK in a 10 – 3 win . Playing in 29 of Modo ' s 55 games , Näslund scored at a point - per - game pace with 10 goals and 19 assists . At the time of his return , Modo was last place in the Elitserien with 16 points in 19 games . With the addition of Näslund and Forsberg , Modo earned 58 points in the remaining 36 games of the season , but finished one point out of a playoff spot , with Näslund retiring for good thereafter . The Vancouver Canucks , for whom Näslund played for most of his career , including seven seasons as captain , will retire Näslund ' s # 19 on December 11 , 2010 ( in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning ) . Näslund joins former Canucks captains Trevor Linden and Stan Smyl as the only Canucks to have their numbers retired by the franchise . International play . Näslund has represented Sweden in numerous international hockey competitions , including two European Junior Championships , two World Junior Championships , four World Championships , two World Cups and one Winter Olympics , winning three silver and two bronze medals . He made his first international appearance for Sweden at the 1990 European Junior Championships , going pointless in six games . He made a significant improvement the following year at the tournament , however , with a 14 - goal and two - assist effort . Näslund continued to play in junior tournaments in the next two years , competing in the 1992 and 1993 World Junior Championships , where Sweden won back - to - back silver medals . In 1993 , he set a tournament record for most goals scored with 13 , to go with 11 assists , in just seven games , while playing on a line with Peter Forsberg . Näslund also made his senior international debut that year at the 1993 World Championships , where he earned another silver medal with Sweden . Näslund made his second World Championships appearance three years later at the 1996 World Championships . However , he only appeared in one game for Sweden , as he was added to the team late in the tournament following the Vancouver Canucks ' elimination in the NHL playoffs . Several months later , Näslund competed in the inaugural 1996 World Cup , but was again limited to one game as Sweden reached the semi - finals before falling short against Canada . Competing in his third World Championships in 1999 , Näslund helped Sweden to a bronze medal with a 10 - point effort in 10 games . In 2002 , Näslund made his first and only appearance in the Olympics at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City . After going undefeated in the round - robin and heralded as gold - medal favourites , Sweden was upset by Belarus in the quarter - finals . The Swedish loss was widely considered one of the most stunning upsets in Olympic history , while Näslund described the defeat in a post - game interview as " devastating . . . for us and our country . " Several months later , he then participated in his final World Championships in 2002 , playing with Sweden as the host country . He was added to the roster prior to the quarterfinals following the Canucks ' first - round elimination to the Detroit Red Wings , tallying 3 points in 3 games as he earned his second consecutive bronze medal . Prior to the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , Näslund participated in his final international competition at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey , where he failed to score a single goal in four games played . Although he was named to Team Sweden for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , Näslund chose not to play due to a groin injury . Sweden went on to win the gold medal , defeating Finland in the final . Personal life . Näslund and his wife Lotta have three children : Rebecca , Isabella , and Alex . During his tenure with the Canucks , the family resided in Vancouver during the season and returned to Sweden in the summer . Like Swedes Nicklas Lidström and his childhood idol , Håkan Loob , Näslund had expressed a desire to raise his children in his homeland Sweden . He made headlines when he first publicly contemplated an early retirement from the NHL to serve those purposes during the 2002 – 03 season . However , he also considered Vancouver his home and cherished his time spent in the city . Upon signing with the New York Rangers , Näslund and his family moved to Connecticut . Following his retirement from the NHL in 2009 , Näslund and his family returned to Sweden , where he began coaching his son , Alex ' s , minor - league hockey team until coming out of retirement to join Modo in November 2009 . In 2002 , Näslund and Forsberg founded Icebreakers , an organization that raises money for children ' s charities through hosting exhibition games featuring current and former professional hockey players . In Vancouver , Näslund ran a program called " Nazzy ' s Suite 19 " that gave underprivileged children the opportunity to attend Canucks games . Along with other Canucks players , Näslund made regular visits to Canuck Place , a children ' s hospice that provides specialized care for children with life - threatening illnesses . Näslund was also known to visit sick children at BC Children ' s Hospital . At the peak of his career , Näslund signed multiple endorsement deals , most notably with Nike Bauer and Electronic Arts . Along with Ilya Kovalchuk and Jarome Iginla , Näslund appeared in advertisements for the Nike brand . In 2004 , EA Sports selected Näslund to appear on the cover of NHL 2005 , EA ' s yearly hockey video game .