Bjorkstrand Earns All-Star Nod

When forward Oliver Bjorkstrand was acquired in a trade during the summer of 2022, the Kraken’s newest All-Star was on his honeymoon in South Africa. Seattle GM Ron Francis interrupted the trip, briefly and respectfully, to let the former Columbus Blue Jacket know he was heading west. A season and a half later, Bjorkstrand was officially announced on Jan. 4th as Seattle’s representative at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3 that crowns a weekend of festivities in the hockey-mad city of Toronto.

“I’m excited and honored,” said Bjorkstrand, a modest athlete with an elite shot and equally high-skill passing portfolio. “I certainly was not thinking about [making an All-Star game] when I first heard about the trade, just thinking about the change and new team.”

Bjorkstrand heard the news from Dave Hakstol just before the team’s morning skate that Thursday. The Kraken winger, in a conversation just off the ice, said he was going to let his wife and parents know as soon as he got to the locker room and his phone.

“My dad is probably going to be the most happy,” said Bjorkstrand, smiling about his father, Todd, a Minnesota native who was a prolific scorer for over 14 seasons in the Danish pro league. “We have always connected with hockey. It will be pretty cool to tell him.”

After coming back from surgery in the summer of 2022, the trade acquisition from Columbus came on strong in the 2023 calendar year playing on a line with center Yanni Gourde and left wing Eeli Tolvanen (who joined the lineup on New Year’s Day). Bjorkstrand finished the year with 20 goals, with 16 of those tallied beginning on Jan. 1. He added 25 assists on the year and scored four playoff goals, including both goals in the thrilling Kraken Game 7 road win over defending champ Colorado in the first round.

“I’m happy for Ollie,” said Hakstol after the announcement, “His play in the last month has been exceptional. It’s certainly well-deserved and he and his line have been consistent and productive all season.”

Bjorkstrand enters the All-Star break as the Kraken’s leading scorer with 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in 50 games. He is also second-best for goals (behind Jared McCann, tied with Tolvanen) and assists (only Vince Dunn has more).

The 28-year-old right wing played in his 500th regular season NHL game on Dec. 29 in a 2-1 overtime win, earning primary assists on both Seattle goals. He’s been especially lethal on the power play, notching six goals and eleven assists. He’s on track to outperform his career-high of 57 points during the 2021-22 season, his last with Columbus.

“His creativity and hockey sense will be good additions to our forward group,” said GM Ron Francis, clearly prescient when the trade was announced.

Francis has consistently praised Bjorkstrand for the small details of his game throughout the 2022-23 season, carrying into this year, whether it was winning 50-50 puck battles in the defensive zone, creating scoring chances for teammates, or quick-releasing his elite shot when opportunities presented that option.

Bjorkstrand said holding himself to a high standard of defensive play “correlates” with creating scoring chances and landing on the scoresheet: “Doing the right things defensively helps me get into the game. I’m not the type of player who has a bad game [in defensive end] but is ok if I get a point.”

The Kraken All-Star says sticking on the line with Gourde and Tolvanen has been a huge plus for his production, and the line’s scoring this season is no doubt a bright spot. Along with Bjorkstrand’s line of 13-27-40, Tolvanen has scored 13 goals and added 73 assists, good for the fourth leading scorer on the SEA roster heading into the break. Linemate and alternate captain Yanni Gourde has seven goals and 13 assists. That’s 33 goals and 57 assists for 90 combined points in the first 50 games of a season that looks in turnaround with the Gourde line producing points and shutting down top opposing lines.

Over the past year since Eeli got here [Tolvanen debuted Jan. 1 last year], we’ve been together,” said Bjorkstrand. “Throughout my career, I don't think I’m even close to the level [of playing with the same linemates]. We're connected. We know where we're going to be on the ice. Just keeping it fairly simple and that’s been working for us.”