Swedish ice hockey forward (born 1999)
Ice hockey player
Fabian Zetterlund (born August 25, 1999) is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the third round, 63rd overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career
Zetterlund played his youth hockey within the program of Färjestad BK. He made his Swedish Hockey League debut with the club in the 2015–16 season.[1]
In the 2016–17 season, Zetterlund scored 16 goals and 26 points at the J20 Superelit level. In 14 SHL games, in which he averaged less than four minutes played per game, he did not have any points. Following the season, he was drafted 63rd overall, in the third round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils.[2]
Zetterlund would earn a more permanent SHL spot in the 2017–18 season, posting 3 goals and 7 points in 35 games, as well as 5 points in 8 games loaned to Timrå IK of the second-tier Allsvenskan.[1]
During the 2018–19 season with Färjestad, Zetterlund suffered an ACL injury, for which he underwent season-ending surgery. In his stunted 16-game season, he had two goals and four points.[1] On May 13, 2019, Zetterlund was signed by the New Jersey Devils to a three-year, entry-level contract.[3]
In his first North American season, the Covid-shortened 2019–20 season, Zetterlund played for the Devils' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Binghamton Devils, where he scored 8 goals and 19 points in 46 games. Although his playing time was limited to start the year as he recovered from the previous season's injury, he worked his way into a larger role and was a consistent scorer by the end of the year.[4]
On October 24, 2020, with North American hockey still paused by the pandemic, the Devils loaned Zetterlund to AIK of the Allsvenskan.[5] He returned to the AHL for the start of its season.[6]
In the 2021–22 season, Zetterlund played mostly with the Utica Comets, who had moved from Binghamton over the summer. During a short NHL stint with the Devils, Zetterlund scored his first NHL goal in a 6–2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes.[7] Zetterlund and the Comets were eliminated in the first round of the 2022 AHL playoffs by the Rochester Americans. Zetterlund had two goals and six points in the series, including the opening goal of the decisive game five loss.[8]
Entering the 2022–23 season, Zetterlund remained with the Devils and was named to the season-opening roster. Establishing new offensive highs with the Devils, Zetterlund collected six goals and 20 points through 45 regular season games. Six days prior to the NHL trade deadline, on February 26, 2023, Zetterlund was traded to the San Jose Sharks in a massive nine-player trade that sent Timo Meier to the Devils.[9] He signed a two-year, $2.9 million contract with the Sharks on July 1, 2023.[10]
International play
Zetterlund has represented Sweden at the Under-17, Under-18, Under-20, and World Championship levels.
At the 2019 World Junior Championships, he was an assistant captain for the Swedish team.[3]
Sweden
