Jesper Vikman
Swedish ice hockey goaltender
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Jesper Vikman (born 11 March 2002) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the fifth round (125th overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.[1]
| Jesper Vikman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
11 March 2002 Danderyd, Sweden | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Left | ||
| AHL team Former teams |
Tucson Roadrunners AIK Henderson Silver Knights | ||
| NHL draft |
125th overall, 2020 Vegas Golden Knights | ||
| Playing career | 2019–present | ||
Playing career
Junior
Vikman developed within the youth system of AIK in his native Sweden, breaking into professional play during the 2019–20 Allsvenskan season with a brief three-game appearance for the club's senior roster in the HockeyAllsvenskan.[2]
Seeking a transition to North American hockey leagues following his draft selection by the Vegas Golden Knights, Vikman moved to Canada to join the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL) after being chosen in the CHL Import Draft.[1] He spent two seasons as a starting goaltender for Vancouver, compiling an overall 36–36–3 record.[3] In his final junior campaign (2022–23), he posted a 3.29 goals-against average (GAA) and a .903 save percentage across 45 regular season games, earning a selection to the WHL B.C. Division First All-Star Team.[4]
Professional
On 10 April 2023, the Golden Knights signed Vikman to a three-year, entry-level contract.[5] He made his professional debut late that season, skating in a single match for the Golden Knights' AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.[2]
Vikman spent the subsequent 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons shifting assignments between Henderson in the AHL and the club's respective ECHL affiliates. Notably, during the 2024–25 season, he backstopped the Tahoe Knight Monsters as their primary netminder during their inaugural season, earning 24 wins in 42 appearances and qualifying for the Kelly Cup Playoffs.[1]
During his third professional season in 2025–26, Vikman made 18 regular season appearances for Henderson before being traded near the NHL trade deadline on 5 March 2026. The Golden Knights package-traded Vikman, alongside a 2027 third-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick, to the Washington Capitals in exchange for depth forward Nic Dowd.[3] Following the transfer, the Capitals initially reassigned Vikman to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.[1] On 6 April 2026, he was re-assigned to Washington's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, ahead of their 2026 postseason push.[4] He featured in relief in 1 regular season game with the Stingrays before ending the season.
As a free agent from the Capitals, Vikman opted to continue in the AHL by agreeing to a one-year contract with the Tucson Roadrunners, affiliate to the Utah Mammoth on 7 July 2026.[6]
Personal life
Vikman is of dual heritage, born to a Swedish mother and a Finnish father.[7] He is fluent in both Swedish and Finnish, and traditionally features elements of both national flags on his customized goaltending masks to represent his background.[7] He began ice hockey training at six years old in Sweden, committing exclusively to the sport through his childhood years before moving up into the Vallentuna BK and AIK junior athletic systems.[2][7]
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2018–19 | AIK | J20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 109 | 10 | 0 | 5.50 | .844 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | AIK | J20 | 24 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 1430 | 73 | 0 | 3.06 | .902 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | AIK | Allsv | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 179 | 10 | 0 | 3.35 | .901 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | AIK | J20 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 527 | 36 | 0 | 4.10 | .851 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | AIK | Allsv | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 246 | 14 | 0 | 3.42 | .885 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Tyresö/Hanviken | Div.1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 480 | 24 | 0 | 3.00 | .897 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Vancouver Giants | WHL | 35 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 1968 | 100 | 3 | 3.05 | .903 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 642 | 37 | 0 | 3.46 | .903 | ||
| 2022–23 | Vancouver Giants | WHL | 45 | 19 | 21 | 1 | 2534 | 139 | 1 | 3.29 | .903 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 238 | 18 | 0 | 4.54 | .873 | ||
| 2022–23 | Henderson Silver Knights | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 3.05 | .893 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Henderson Silver Knights | AHL | 15 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 811 | 47 | 0 | 3.48 | .891 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Savannah Ghost Pirates | ECHL | 15 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 898 | 45 | 0 | 3.01 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Henderson Silver Knights | AHL | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 328 | 22 | 1 | 4.02 | .883 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Tahoe Knight Monsters | ECHL | 42 | 24 | 15 | 3 | 2445 | 130 | 1 | 3.19 | .897 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 481 | 23 | 0 | 2.87 | .914 | ||
| 2025–26 | Henderson Silver Knights | AHL | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 985 | 56 | 0 | 3.41 | .866 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2025–26 | South Carolina Stingrays | ECHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 1.75 | .929 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 41 | 16 | 18 | 5 | 2183 | 128 | 1 | 3.48 | .880 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||