Jonas Bergqvist

Right winger Jonas Bergqvist spent most of his career from 1981-99 with Leksands IF, except for short spells with the Calgary Flames in 1989-90, Mannheimer ERC in Germany in 1990-91 and VEU Feldkirch in Austria from 1998-99. Bergqvist was drafted by the Calgary Flames of the NHL in 1988 and joined the club in 1989. But he played only 22 games with them during his only season in North America, playing most of that season with the Salt Lake City Golden Eagles in International Hockey League. With Leksands, Bergqvist never won a Swedish title, his best finish a runner-up in 1989. But he was awarded the Guldpucken award as the best player at the Swedish Championships in 1996 and was selected to the Swedish championships all-star team in 1989 and 1996. With VEU Feldkirch, Bergqvist won the Alpenliga in 1999, a professional league with clubs from Austria, Italy and Slovenia.

Internationally, Bergqvist was capped 272 times with the national team, which ranks him, as of 2013, second all-time for a Swedish national behind Jörgen Jönsson. Bergqvist competed at two Olympics (1988, 1994), nine World Championships (1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993-96, 1998), two Canada Cups (1987 and 1991) and the 1996 World Cup. Bergqvist won an Olympic gold in 1994 and bronze in 1988, was World Champion three times in 1987, 1991 and 1998, won silvers at the 1986 and 1993 World Championships and bronze at the 1994 World Championships. He also won silvers at the 1986 and 1991 European Championships and bronze at the 1987 European Championships. Bergqvist was awarded the Stora Grabbars Märke (Big Boys’ Badge) #137 in ice hockey.

After finishing his sporting career, Bergqvist was president of Leksands IF from 2000-06, with his main accomplishments considered as the building of the Tegera Arena, the home arena of Leksands IF and LRF-Hallen, used by Leksands youth and junior teams. From 2000-07 he served as an expert commentator with the TV channel Viasat Sport during the World Championships. In 2006, Bergqvist began work as a CEO of LRF Konsult, one of the largest Swedish accounting and consultation firms, CEO of AJ Produkter, a Swedish mail order company and CEO of J B Tvåsjutvå AB, a Swedish advertising agency.