William Eklund
Swedish ice hockey player (born 2002)
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William Eklund (born 12 October 2002) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Considered the top international prospect for the 2021 NHL entry draft by NHL Central Scouting,[1] he was selected seventh overall by the San Jose Sharks.[2]
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| William Eklund | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Eklund with the San Jose Sharks in April 2026 | |||
| Born |
12 October 2002 Haninge, Sweden | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
San Jose Sharks Djurgårdens IF | ||
| NHL draft |
7th overall, 2021 San Jose Sharks | ||
| Playing career | 2020–present | ||
Playing career
Eklund made his debut in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) on 4 January 2020, playing for Djurgårdens IF in a 4–2 win away against IK Oskarshamn.[3] He played a total of 20 regular season games and scoring two points during the rest of the 2019–20 SHL season. He collected five points in his first eight games in the 2020–21 SHL season.
Eklund was signed by the Sharks to a three-year, entry-level contract on 16 August 2021.[4] He made his NHL debut on 16 October, in a 4–3 win over the Winnipeg Jets, where he also registered his first point, an assist.[5] After playing nine games with the Sharks, he was reassigned back to Sweden on 5 November.[6] Eklund dressed for both the Sharks and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, in 2022–23, before playing full-time for the Sharks in the 2023–24 season. He scored his first NHL goal on 14 March 2023, in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.[7]
On 1 July 2025, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Sharks.[8]
International play
Eklund was named for the preliminary Swedish junior team roster for the 2021 World Junior Championships, but tested positive for COVID-19, preventing him from joining the final roster for the tournament.[9]
Eklund made his debut with the Sweden senior team on 28 April 2021, in a friendly game against Denmark where he scored one goal and made one assist.[10]
He was named to Sweden's roster for the 2025 World Championship, but got injured in a pre-tournament game.[11]
Personal life
Eklund is the son of former ice hockey player Christian Eklund, who also played for Djurgårdens IF.[12] William's brother, Victor, is also an ice hockey player,[13] who was drafted 16th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2025 NHL entry draft. Along with Victor, William has four younger step-siblings.[14]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2018–19 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 31 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Djurgårdens IF | SHL | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Djurgårdens IF | SHL | 40 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Djurgårdens IF | SHL | 29 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | San Jose Barracuda | AHL | 54 | 17 | 24 | 41 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 80 | 16 | 29 | 45 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 77 | 17 | 41 | 58 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2025–26 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 78 | 15 | 38 | 53 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SHL totals | 89 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| NHL totals | 252 | 50 | 113 | 163 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| SHL | ||
| Rookie of the Year | 2021 | [15] |
| Swedish junior player of the year | 2021 | [16] |
| NHL | ||
| E. J. McGuire Award of Excellence | 2021 | [17] |