After 10 years in the NHL, Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington is returning back to the city where he was born and raised, and the Djurgården club where he played as a teenager.
Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington, 28, has signed a one-year contract with Djurgården IF, the Stockholm-based SHL team announced on Saturday.
Born and raised in Stockholm, Kylington returns to Djurgården after a 13-year absense and 10 seasons in the NHL.
“I’m looking forward to playing in front of the fans here at Hovet - it’s something I've thought about for a long time,” Kylington said, referring to Djurgården’s long-time home rink. “I’ve only seen it from the stands, so now it’ll be fun to get a feel for it and be able to give back.”
“Oliver is a Stockholm guy who has played ten seasons in North America and who is coming back home to Stockholm to play where he belongs,” said Djurgården sports director Niklas Wikegård. “He is a fundamentally skilled, experienced and very talented player with great international credentials.”
Kylington left Djurgården at age 15 to play for Södertälje SK and then Färjestad BK, with whom he got his first taste of pro hockey at age 17. He recorded 13 points in 62 SHL regular-season and playoff games over two seasons with Färjestad.
He was selected in the second round, 60th overall, by the Calgary Flames in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He then spent the next nine seasons in the Calgary organization.
After a 31-point season in 2021-22, Kylington was rewarded with a new contract but missed then missed the entire 2022-23 season despite no apparent physical ailments. In August 2023, he finally spoke out about his mental health troubles.
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After nine seasons of highs and lows in the organization of the Calgary Flames – the team that drafted him – Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington, an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. In <a href="https://hockeynews.se/nyheter/har-brutit-med-sin-familj-ingen-relation">a recent interview with Swedish media outlet HockeyNews.se</a>, he spoke about his decision, his history of struggles with mental health and his family, and where he is now.
An unrestricted free agent in 2024, Kylington signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. After being limited to just 13 games due to injuries, he was traded in March 2025 to the Anaheim Ducks, where he finished the season.
All told, Kylington recorded 60 points and 60 penalty minutes in 220 NHL regular-season games. He also recorded three points in 12 games for Calgary in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Kylington went to the Carolina Hurricanes training camp on a PTO this year, but was cut near the end of the preseason. He then returned to Stockholm, where he was reportedly skating with Djurgården’s junior team, while rumors swirled of his imminent signing with the SHL team.
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“He will contribute and be an important piece for us,” Wikegård continued. “Then, just like with all other players who come from North American hockey, it’s about patience. Even though Oliver is Swedish, it will be an adjustment for him. But he is a very exciting player that we welcome here to Djurgården as part of our common journey.”
Kylington joins a Djurgården team that has seven wins and five losses in its first 12 SHL games of the season, good for 21 points and fifth place in the 14-team circuit.
The team’s roster includes goaltender Magnus Hellberg, defenseman Gustav Lindström, and forwards Marcus Krüger, Jacob Josefson, Charles Hudon, Jesse Ylönen and Joe Snively. It also includes top NHL prospects Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund – first-round draft picks of the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders, respectively – top 2025 draft prospects Viggo Björk and Marcus Nordmark, and former prospect Emilio Pettersen.
Charles Hudon Signs In Sweden, Joins Frondell & Eklund
Canadian
forward
Charles Hudon, 31, has signed a two-year contract with
Djurgården IF, the Stockholm-based SHL club announced on Wednesday.