Eric Ersberg for 17 years, built a careerhockey player. The goalkeeper, nicknamed "The Swedish Wall" played in seven different teams and was a member of the national team of Sweden. This year, he announced his retirement from professional hockey.
Thirty-four years ago, on March 8,appeared Eric Ersberg - hockey player of Sweden and a free agent. He was born in the city of Sala. From an early age began to get involved in sports, attended training in hockey. Growth of the goalkeeper - 1 m 82 cm, weight - 74 kg. For his stamina and ability to beat difficult throws received two nicknames: "Iceberg" and "Swedish Wall".
At the age of 17, Eric Ersberg became a memberteam "Vasteras", which acted in the second-strength division of Sweden. As part of the club, the hockey player played until 2005. Then he signed a contract with the team from Jonkoping "ХВ-71" and got into the Major League of the Swedish championship. In 2006, he took the position of the main goalkeeper.
In the same season, the hockey player was selectedthe national team for matches in two tournaments (the Karjala Cup and the First Channel Cup). It was Erik's debut appearance in Sweden's national team. In 2007, the player earned his first prize, on March 22 he was awarded as the best goalkeeper of the country's trophy trophy Honken Trophy. And already at the end of May there was news about the departure of Ersberg from "ХВ-71". He received an offer from the American team "Los Angeles Kings". But after coming to California in 2007, the hockey player was taken to the "Manchester Monark", with which he played a whole season in the US HL.
In 2008, Erik Ersberg replaced the goalie "Kings"Dan Cloutier in the NHL based on the franchise in a battle with HC "Chicago Blackhawks." Swedish hockey player stood firmly on the gate and repelled 18 shots from 19. For a brand new player, it was an amazing result. So Ersberg in the "Kings" played more than 50 matches in three seasons of the NHL. He spoke under number 31. In 2010, the Swedish hockey player was redirected to Manchester, but Eric did not want to remain in this team anymore. On his initiative, the contract was broken.
Further Ersberg's career continued in the KHL in the hockey club from Ufa "Salavat Yulaev". With the arrival of this team, he almost instantly took the position of the main goalkeeper, he was assigned the 40th number.
As a result of the 2010-2011 season, the winner of the CupGagarin became Eric Ersberg. Statistics of the Swedish hockey player's games for the first year in "Salavat" was as follows: 18 matches in the regular season (of 446 shots reflected 441) and 20 in the playoffs (out of 541 attacks repelled 505). Its reliability factor for the result of two seasons was over 90%.
In 2011, following the results of the KHL, the goalkeeper was awardeda prestigious prize among Russian hockey players - the Golden Helmet. Also this year Erik Ersberg defended the honor of the Swedish national team at the World Cup and won a silver medal. In the spring of 2012, by agreement between the two sides, the contract between the Russian team and the goalkeeper was terminated.
In May 2012, Eric becomes a playerUkrainian HC "Donbass", which consisted of 21 matches in the KHL for one season, its reliability factor was 91.2%. Then, October 11, 2013, go to "Iserlohn Rusters" (Germany) and participates in the German hockey league in regular championships and playoffs. May 25, 2014 goalkeeper returns to the already familiar to him the team from Jonkoping "ХВ-71". He takes part in the Swedish Championships. Eric Ersberg for two seasons managed to spend only thirty games.
For the career of a hockey player in the NHL and the KHL (from 1999 to 2016the goalkeeper appeared on the ice in 315 games. As a result, he was able to repel 5,882 throws rivals from 6611. Almost throughout the sports career, Erik Ersberg was worried about a chronic back injury. Due to unbearable pain in 2016, he decided to leave professional hockey soon.
