Robin Lehner

**Robin Lehner** (born on July 24, 1991 in Gothenburg, Sweden) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL.

## Playing Career

### Early Playing Career

Lehner started playing hockey relatively late at ten years old. He had previously played soccer.

He began playing hockey with Mölndal IF, and in only seven years, he became one of the top Swedish goaltenders in his age group. He played for Frölunda HC until the 2008–09 season.

After being drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the second round (46th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Lehner moved to Canada to play for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.

### Ottawa Senators

On March 20, 2010, Lehner signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators.

Ottawa sports media suggested the "highly touted prospect" would provide a measure of stability and longevity to the Senators' goaltending, something the organization has rarely had since its inception.

In 2010, following a successful season in Sault Ste. Marie, the Senators organization informed the team that Lehner would not be returning, as he would begin his time with the Binghamton Senators for the 2010–11 season.

On October 15, 2010, he made his AHL debut. The next day, he was called up to Ottawa due to an injury to Pascal Leclaire. He made his NHL debut playing four minutes in the third period of a game against the Montreal Canadiens that night.

With that debut at 19 years, two months and 24 days, Lehner became the youngest Swedish goaltender to play in the NHL, breaking Jhonas Enroth's record of 21 years, four months and 13 days.

On January 13, 2011, Lehner won his first NHL start when Ottawa defeated the New York Islanders 6–4 on January 13, 2011.

On June 7, 2011, he was awarded the 2011 Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL's Calder Cup Most Valuable Player with the champion Binghamton Senators.

On May 17, 2013, Lehner made his Stanley Cup playoff debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins, stopping 20 of 21 shots in relief of starter Craig Anderson.

The 2013–14 season saw Lehner start the season in Ottawa for the first time after three years of tutelage in the AHL.

On November 11, 2013, after posting a 3–0 record with a 1.33 goals against average (GAA) and .958 save percentage, Lehner was named the NHL's First Star of the Week. On July 31, 2014, he signed a three-year, $6.675 million contract extension with Ottawa.

### Buffalo Sabres

On June 26, 2015, Lehner and David Legwand were traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Buffalo's 21st overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (used to select Colin White).

On June 22, 2018, the Sabres announced they would not tender Lehner a contract offer and would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expired on July 1st.

### New York Islanders

On July 3, 2018, Lehner signed as a free agent to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the New York Islanders.

On October 8, 2018, he became the first goaltender in the Islanders' history to post a shutout in his debut with the team, leading them to a 4–0 win over the San Jose Sharks.

On April 6, 2019, Lehner posted a 3–0 shutout over the Washington Capitals securing the William M. Jennings Trophy, which he shared with teammate Thomas Greiss.

On April 11, 2019, he recorded his first playoff win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On June 21, 2019, he won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy which is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.

### Chicago Blackhawks

On July 1, 2019, Lehner signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.

He was negotiating a new contract with the Islanders, but reportedly the team walked away from him during negotiations and signed former Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov instead.

### Vegas Golden Knights

On February 24, 2020, Lehner was traded by the Blackhawks as part of a three-team trade to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2020 2nd round entry draft pick, goaltender Malcolm Subban and prospect Slava Demin.

He was initially dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs for salary retention and prospect Mārtiņš Dzierkals before he was flipped to the Golden Knights for a 2020 fifth-round pick.

## International Play

Lehner has competed internationally for Sweden in the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships in Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, where Sweden placed fifth.

He competed for starting goaltender at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Buffalo, New York.

## Playing Style

Lehner is a butterfly-style goalie who uses his large frame to his advantage. Despite his size, he remains quite mobile with good lateral movement.

Following the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Senators' scouting staff described Lehner's style as very competitive with good technique and a willingness to aggressively challenge shooters.

Sweden head coach Stephan Lundh described Lehner as a "steady, calm person. He's very determined."

His father Michael has helped coach New York Rangers' goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, and has had a big influence on both goaltenders' playing styles.

Michael never played goaltender, so he would often use his son as a "guinea pig" for Lundqvist. He Lehner has done various forms of martial arts at an elite level and took his knowledge of movement over to goaltending.

Michael spent four seasons as the goaltending coach for Frölunda HC, Lundqvist's and Robin Lehner's former team.

## Personal Life

Lehner and his wife, Donya (née Naini, who is of Persian descent) have two children: a son and a daughter.

He has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and struggled with alcohol and drug addiction before seeking help and getting sober during the 2018 off-season.

Lehner is a fan of melodic death metal and in particular Swedish band In Flames, which originate from Lehner's home town of Gothenburg. The band influenced the design on his mask.

After long-time Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson signed with the Detroit Red Wings in 2013, he sold his house in Ottawa to Lehner.