Emma Eliasson

Emma Maria Josefin Eliasson (born 12 June 1989 in Kiruna, Sweden) is a Swedish retired ice hockey player. Considered one of the greatest Swedish defenders to ever play the game and known for her offensive abilities and physical style of play, she averaged over a point per game in her 10-year SDHL career, playing in five SDHL championship finals, and made over 230 appearances for the Swedish national team, winning a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
== Career ==
Growing up in Kiruna, first in the Karesuando district and then in central Kiruna, Eliasson often played on boy's hockey teams. She has spoken out about her experience being ridiculed for being a girl playing a hockey, stating that she had to "show that she was better than them, or just simply run over them in order to win respect." Between the ages of 14 and 15, she played for Modo Hockey, taking the bus to commute from Kiruna to Örnsköldsvik.
In 2006, she moved to Gävle to attend high school and play for Brynäs IF. For three years in a row between 2010 and 2012, Brynäs made it to the playoff finals and lost, with her scoring a semi-finals hat-trick to take the club to finals in 2012.
She signed for Munksund-Skuthamns SK ahead of the 2012–13 season, and was named an assistant captain for the club.
After facing financial difficulties, Munksund-Skuthamns SK merged with Luleå HF in 2015 to form Luleå HF/MSSK. She was named captain of the newly formed team, scoring a career-best 45 points in 2015–16, leading the team to a championship victory, her first in her career, and being named Riksserien Defender of the Year. She was named Swedish Hockey Girl of the Year in 2016. After receiving the award, she called on the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation to change the name of the award to something less outdated.
She put up 37 points in 36 games in 2016–17, as Riksserien changed its name to become the SDHL, leading Luleå to a first-place finish in the regular season for the second year in a row. She added another 3 points in 4 playoff games as the club was eliminated in the playoff semi-finals by HV71.
In May 2017, she announced her retirement from hockey, citing high levels of stress leading to heart palpitations and her controversial removal from the Swedish national team as reasons. Upon her retirement, Luleå head coach Fredrik Glader stated that "The best defender ever in Swedish women's hockey has ended her career."
In 2018, Kiruna IF announced that she named an honorary club member along with former NHL-defender Börje Salming, the first two players to be awarded that honour in 15 years. The next year, the club announced that they would be retiring her number, making her the first player in the club's history to be awarded the honour.
== International career ==
She made over 200 international appearances for the Sweden women's national ice hockey team. She won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and would again represent Sweden at the Olympics in 2010 and 2014. She scored a total of 7 points in 16 Olympic matches.(Swedish) 
After her 2006 silver medal, a portrait of her was hung inside the Kiruna hockey arena, but was removed after being repeatedly vandalised. The portrait was later put back up permanently.
After Sweden lost to Finland in the 2014 Olympic quarterfinals, she announced that she was retiring from international play. She returned to the national team in 2015.
=== Controversial removal ===
In 2017, she was controversially kicked out of the Swedish national team by head coach Leif Boork. After not having spoken to her in months, Boork told the press that the national team "leadership has been too weak" and that it was "time to stop compromising." A year later, Boork would be fired as Sweden's coach after leading to a seventh-place finish at the 2018 Olympics, allegations of bullying Jenni Asserholt into retirement, and a player petition for his resignation. After her retirement, Eliasson harshly criticised the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, stating that the Federation "betrayed [the players] when we were most vulnerable." She stated that after Sweden's quarter-finals defeat in the 2016 World Championships, 14 players on the team met in a hotel room in Norrtälje to discuss the team's poor moral and performance, and to attempt to address complaints over poor conditions such as being fed outdated food and strict rules of conduct intruding into their personal lives, including dictating what clothes players could wear. The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation refused to meet with the players.
In 2019, after the country was relegated from the top IIHF division for the first time, the players went on strike. She spoke out in support of the striking players, stating that she felt like "a lot of good will come from it."
== Personal life ==
Eliasson has a degree in economics from the Luleå University of Technology. She has also spent most of her summers working as a miner in Kiruna's magnetite mines.
After her retirement from hockey, she played football for a year as a midfielder for Notvikens IK in Luleå. In 2018, she returned to the Luleå HF organisation to become an assistant coach for the boy's U16 side.
==Career statistics==
=== Club statistics ===
Note: Riksserien changed its name to the SDHL in 2016.
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2007–08 	Brynäs IF 	Riksserien 		14 	8 	4 	12 	14 		4 	1 	1 	2 	2
2008–09 	Brynäs IF 	Riksserien 		20 	2 	3 	5 	38 		7 	4 	4 	8 	2
2009–10 	Brynäs IF 	Riksserien 		19 	16 	10 	26 	26 		2 	1 	1 	2 	4
2010–11 	Brynäs IF 	Riksserien 		24 	21 	15 	36 	22 		4 	4 	1 	5 	6
2011–12 	Brynäs IF 	Riksserien 		22 	12 	14 	26 	28 		4 	3 	4 	7 	2
2012–13 	Munksund-Skuthamns SK	Riksserien 		24 	18 	7 	25 	75 		2 	0 	1 	1 	2
2013–14 	Munksund-Skuthamns SK	Riksserien 		28 	3 	14 	17 	52 		4 	4 	4 	8 	4
2014–15 	Munksund-Skuthamns SK	Riksserien 		27 	13 	22 	35 	32 		2 	0 	2 	2 	6
2015–16 	Luleå HF/MSSK 	Riksserien 		34 	10 	35 	45 	26 		7 	0 	2 	2 	14
2016–17 	Luleå HF/MSSK 	SDHL 		36 	11 	26 	37 	26 		4 	2 	1 	3 	6
SDHL totals	SDHL totals 	SDHL totals		248 	114 	150 	264 	339 		40 	19 	21 	40 	48
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 	Result 		GP	G	A 	Pts	PIM
2005 	Sweden 	WC 	 		5 	0	0 	0 	4
2006 	Sweden 	Oly 	 		5 	0	1 	1 	6
2007 	Sweden 	WC 	 		5 	0	1 	1 	8
2008 	Sweden 	WC 	5th 		4 	1	2 	3 	6
2009 	Sweden 	WC 	4th 		5 	0	2 	2 	2
2010 	Sweden 	Oly 	4th 		5 	0	2 	2 	6
2011 	Sweden 	WC 	5th 		5 	1	1 	2 	6
2013 	Sweden 	WC 	7th 		5 	1	2 	3 	2
2014 	Sweden 	Oly 	4th 		6 	1	3 	4 	6
2016 	Sweden 	WC 	5th 		5 	1	3 	4 	6
Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals		50	5	17	22 	52
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:1989 births
Category:Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Category:Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Category:Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Category:Living people
Category:Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Sweden
Category:Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Category:Olympic silver medalists for Sweden
Category:Swedish women's ice hockey forwards
Category:LGBT ice hockey players
Category:Modo Hockey players
Category:Brynäs IF players
Category:Luleå HF/MSSK players
Category:Luleå University of Technology alumni