Elias Lindholm

BIOGRAPHY

Elias Lindholm was born December 2, 1994 in Boden, Sweden. He is a centre in the National Hockey League.

Lindholm was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round (5th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, and spent his first five NHL seasons with them. He is the youngest Swedish-born player to score an NHL goal. Following being drafted by the Hurricanes, Lindholm made the opening roster for the 2013–14 NHL season. He scored his first NHL goal in his fourth ever NHL game against Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals on 10 October 2013. By scoring his first NHL goal at 18 years and 311 days, Lindholm became the youngest Swedish-born NHL player to score a goal, beating Gabriel Landeskog and his previous record, which was 18 years and 324 days. On 8 March 2015 Lindholm scored his first career hat trick in a 3–4 win against the Edmonton Oilers. 

On 23 June 2018, Lindholm was traded to the Calgary Flames. He signed a six-year contract with the Flames on 16 July. In his first season with his new team, Lindholm mostly played top-line minutes; all three scored career highs in points, with Lindholm scoring 27 goals and a total of 78 points. In the following season he set another new high in goals (29) despite the season being prematurely concluded due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was by this point establishing himself as one of the Flames' most important forwards. When the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs were belatedly held in a bubble in the summer, the Flames defeated the Winnipeg Jets in the qualifying round before falling to the Dallas Stars in the first round. Lindholm managed 2 goals and 4 assists in 10 playoff games. 

The NHL's divisions and format returned to their pre-pandemic norms for the 2021–22 season, the Flames' first full season on returning coach Sutter. It would prove to be one of the most successful regular seasons in team history. With Gaudreau and Tkachuk, he formed one of the most dominant forward lines in the NHL, and all three members hit numerous personal and collective milestones over the course of the season. Lindholm scored his 40th goal of the season in an April 23 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, hitting that marker for the first time. Gaudreau and Tkachuk also scored 40 goals, the first time in 28 years that linemates had all achieved this, and only the fourth time in that span that a team had three 40-goal scorers. Lindholm finished the regular season with 42 goals and 40 assists for 82 points, while the Flames won the reconstituted Pacific Division. He was voted a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded to the league's best defensive forward.

The Flames drew the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, a rematch of the bubble playoffs two years prior, and a matchup in which the Flames were considered the favourites. Lindholm immediately distinguished himself by scoring the lone goal in the Flames' 1–0 victory in Game 1. The Stars proved a greater challenge than many had anticipated, largely due to an exceptional performance from goaltender Jake Oettinger, but the Flames eventually won the series in Game 7. The Flames drew the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, the first playoff "Battle of Alberta" in 31 years.