Swedish right winger Carl Klingberg, 34, and American forward Lukas Svejkovsky, 23, have both signed contract extentions that will see them remain with Ilves Tampere through the 2025-26 season, the Finnish Liiga club announced on Tuesday.
Since transferring to Ilves from his hometown Frölunda HC in November, Klingberg has produced 30 points in 38 games for the league-leading club.
“Carl has been a fantastic team player from day one and a highly respected figure within our team, both on the ice and in the dressing room,” said Ilves sports director Timo Koskela said of the veteran Klingberg. “He has raised the level of our team with his own actions and convinced those around him both in everyday life and in games. Carl has returned his game to its peak level in Ilves in a quick time frame, which was his and the club’s shared goal when we signed the contract. Carl will be a big part of our team in the future as well.”
Klingberg was a second-round pick by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009 but played only one game for the team before the franchise moved to Winnipeg in 2011. Klingberg then played 11 NHL games for the Jets over the next few seasons, spending most of his time in the AHL.
Rumors Confirmed: Klingberg Headed To Finland
It was <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/ex-jet-on-his-way-out-of-sweden">heavily rumored he would soon be on the move</a> and on Sunday, 33-year-old Swedish right winger Carl Klingberg signed with Ilves Tampere, <a href="https://ilves.com/ruotsalaishyokkaaja-carl-klingberg-ilveksen-riveihin/">the Finnish Liiga club announced</a> on Sunday. The contract is for the remainder of this season plus a club option for next.
Klingberg spent the 2015-16 season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL and then played in Switzerland for EV Zug from 2016 to 2023.
A native of Gothenburg, Sweden, Klingberg signed with hometown Frölunda HC to much fanfare in 2023 but did not produce as hoped. Last season, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound winger had 17 points and 45 penalty minutes in 66 SHL regular-season and playoff games. This season has seen his production slip even further, with only two goals through 17 games.
Svejkovsky, who joined Ilves less than two weeks before Klingberg, scored twice in his first game with the team and overall has produced 11 points in 13 games.
“Extending Lukas’ contract was an easy decision for us,” said Koskela. “He is a talented player who quickly showed through his own actions that he has exceptional offensive skills for the Liiga level and the ability to create chances for his teammates and himself. Lukas will be an important player for us in the future.”
Svejkovsky was born in Tampa, Fla. while his father, Czech right winger Jaroslav Švejkovský, was playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The elder Švejkovský is now an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks.
The younger Svejkovsky, who says that he never uses the Czech version of his name with diacritics, grew up in the Vancouver area and played junior hockey for the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, Medicine Hat Tigers and Seattle Thunderbirds.
He was a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020 and spent time playing in the AHL for Wilkes/Barre Scranton as the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers before moving to the Tampa Bay organization.
With only one game remaining in its regular-season schedule, Ilves will finish first overall unless it loses its final game on Saturday against KalPa and second-place Lukko wins all three of its remaining games in regulation time.
Joonas Nättinen: “The Number Of Games Has Been Absolutely Ridiculous”
Following Ilves Tampere’s 2-1 loss on Sunday, it’s now time to take a break from a rigorous Liiga schedule and return to the Champions Hockey League. The team will now travel to France to take on the Rouen Dragons on Wednesday. Counting both competitions, it will be Ilves’ 15<sup>th</sup> game in 24 days.