BIOGRAPHY
Oliver Bjorkstrand was born April 10, 1995, in Herning, Denmark. He is a forward in the NHL.
Bjorkstrand was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round, 89th overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Bjorkstrand is the son of American hockey coach Todd and the brother of Patrick.
Born and raised in Herning, Bjorkstrand made his AL-Bank Ligaen debut playing with the Herning Blue Fox during the 2011–12 season. He recorded 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 36 games during his rookie season to lead all 16-year-olds in the league in scoring. As a result, he was selected 26th overall by the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League (WHL) 2012 Import Draft. He spent three seasons with the Winterhawks before beginning his professional career with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
Bjorkstrand entered the final year of his entry-level contract playing the full 2017–18 season with the Blue Jackets at the NHL level. Throughout the season, he played mainly on the third or fourth line and was tasked with a checking role. Following the acquisition of Thomas Vanek in February, Bjorkstrand played on a line with Nick Foligno and Sonny Milano. He set a new career-high during the season by recording 11 goals and 29 assists for 40 points in 82 games. His numbers ranked fourth in assists and sixth in points across the Blue Jackets skaters. As the Jackets qualified for the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, he recorded three points in six games. He finished the 2017–18 season by signing a three-year contract extension through the 2020–21 season on 15 July 2018.
In the first year of his new contract, Bjorkstrand began studying the playing style of teammate Artemi Panarin, who had a similar build to him. He began the season slow, only scoring three goals in his first 30 games and was made a healthy scratch. After sitting out for four games, head coach John Tortorella returned him to the lineup on 29 November 2018, to replace a "banged up" Anthony Duclair. Following this, he picked up his scoring and had five goals and nine points through the month of February and recording nine goals in the last 10 games of the regular season. As a result, he finished the 2018–19 season with 23 goals and 36 points for his first 20-goal season.
The following year, Bjorkstrand continued his offensive output and was praised by defenseman Zach Werenski for being "a guy that you can count on in every situation". He was moved across various lines throughout the season as Tortorella struggled to finding a suitable center for both Bjorkstrand and Patrik Laine. After recording 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points through 36 games, he was placed on injured reserve in December 2019 after suffering a rib/cartilage contusion with oblique strain during a game against the New Jersey Devils. Upon returning to the lineup, Bjorkstrand continued his offensive streak and led the team with 21 goals and tied for third with 36 points before being injured on 20 February during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. As a reuslt of the injury, Bjorkstrand remained out of the lineup until the Blue Jackets qualified for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. Bjorkstrand and the Blue Jackets met with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference Qualifying Round of the playoffs and beat them in five games. During the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Bjorkstrand tallied his first goal of the postseason in an eventual 3–2 loss in a five overtime game. The game was the longest game in franchise history and the fourth-longest in league history. He shortly thereafter became the second active player to have each of his first three career playoff game-winning goals come against one opponent. He also set a franchise record for most postseason game-winning goals. The Blue Jackets were eventually eliminated from the playoffs in five games.
Upon being eliminated from the playoffs, Bjorkstrand signed a five-year, $27 million contract extension on 6 January 2021 to remain with the Blue Jackets. He scored his first goal of the season on 18 January 2021 against the Detroit Red Wings and added an assist and a fight for a Gordie Howe hat trick. As the Blue Jackets pushed for a playoff position in March, Bjorkstrand recorded five goals and six assists for 11 points through 10 games. He also led the team with 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points. In spite of this, Bjorkstrand and the Blue Jackets failed to qualify for the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Prior to the start of the 2021–22 season, Bjorkstrand was named an alternate captain for the team alongside Werenski and Gustav Nyquist. On 25 October, Bjorkstrand recorded his 100th assist to tie Jakub Voráček for 18th in franchise history at the century mark.
On 22 July 2022, Bjorkstrand was traded to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for third-round and fourth-round picks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
