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| 1978 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Bengt Gustafsson
Selected in fourth round
No.
55 overall by Washington Capitals
Born March
23, 1958
 | Position:
R. Wing / Center / L. Wing
Height: 6-0 Weight: 185
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Karlstad (Sweden)
Birthplace: Karlskoga, Sweden
Hometown:
Karlskoga, Sweden |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1973-74 |
Karlskoga | Sweden-2 |
8 |
1 | 4 |
5 | 0 |
| 1974-75 |
Karlskoga | Sweden Jr. |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | |
Karlskoga | Sweden-2 |
18 | 4 |
5 | 9 |
2 | | 1975-76 |
Karlskoga | Sweden-2 |
11 | 7 |
3 | 10 |
-- | | 1976-77 |
Karlskoga-Bofors | Sweden-2 |
22 | 32 |
18 | 50 |
-- | | 1977-78 |
Karlstad | Sweden |
32 | 15 |
10 | 25 |
10 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships: 1978 (silver medal)
European Junior Championships: 1976 (silver medal)
World Junior
Championships All-Star First Team: 1978 |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 11, 1979 (Washington at
Buffalo)
Numbers: 16 (Washington)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Playing Status: Retired 1998 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1979-1989 |
Washington | 629 |
196 | 359 |
555 | 196 |
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| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1983-1989 |
Washington | 32 |
9 | 19 |
28 | 16 |
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NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Washington Fan's Favorite: 1980-81 (first winner)
Washington Emery Edge Award (+/- Leader): 1983-84 (plus-29)
Washington Records: Most goals in one game (5 at Philadelphia on Jan.
8, 1984, shares record), fastest goal from the start of a period (5 seconds in
third period vs. Philadelphia on Jan. 18, 1983), most assists by a rookie (32
in 1979-80)
Washington Assists Leader: 1985-86 (52)
Washington Playoffs Points Leader: 1988 (13, tie)
Miscellaneous: Claimed by Edmonton as one of three players (plus Wayne
Gretzky) it intended
to protect from its WHA team upon entering the NHL in 1979. Washington fought
the move by taking him back in the NHL Reclaim Draft on June 9, 1979.
Gustafsson's NHL rights remained in dispute until NHL
President John Ziegler sided with Washington, awarding Gustafsson to the
Capitals in September 1979 because Oilers had broken WHA rules to sign him. ... Had assist in first NHL game.
... Set Washington record (since broken) for points by a rookie with 60 in
1979-80. ... Scored game-winning goal for Washington in franchise's first
victory over Montreal on Feb. 19, 1980. ... Missed part of 1980-81 season with
cervical strain in back, an injury suffered during Washington's Nov. 12, 1980,
game at Pittsburgh. ... Became first Washington player to attempt two penalty
shots in the same season, a feat he achieved in 1980-81. ... Missed part of
1981-82 season with pulled tendons in right ankle, an injury suffered during
Washington's Dec. 23, 1981, game vs. Washington. ... Played on line with Bobby
Carpenter and Mike Gartner for Washington in 1981-82. ... Missed part of
1983-84 season with partially torn MCL in left knee, an injury suffered during
Washington's March 17, 1984, game at N.Y. Islanders. ... Missed part of
1984-85 season with pulled left hamstring, an injury suffered in February
1985. ... Set Washington single-season record (since broken) with four
shorthanded goals in 1985-86. ... Missed end of 1985-86 season and entire 1986 playoffs with broken
right tibia, an injury suffered when he was tripped by Denis Potvin during
Washington's game vs. N.Y. Islanders on March 28, 1986. ... Left NHL for good
in May 1989 so that he could be closer to his business interests in Sweden. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Karlstad (Sweden); Edmonton
(WHA); Karlskoga-Bafors (Sweden); Feldkirch (Austria)
Olympics: 1992
(fifth place)
Canada Cup: 1984 (second place), 1987
(third place)
World Championships: 1979 (bronze medal), 1981 (silver
medal), 1983 (fourth place), 1987 (gold medal), 1991 (gold medal), 2000 (5-8
place) (Switzerland) (assistant coach), 2001 (9th place) (Switzerland)
(assistant coach), 2002 (10th
place) (Switzerland) (assistant coach)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
IIHF Hall of Fame: Inducted 2003
Swedish Championship: 2002 (Karlstad) (as head coach)
Austrian Championship: 1994, 1995, 1996,
1997, 1998 (Feldkirch)
Euroleague Cup: 1998 (Feldkirch)
Sweden
Guldhjalmen Award (MVP): 1989-90 (Karlstad)
World Championships All-Star First Team: 1983, 1987
Sweden World Championships Captain: 1987
Sweden Playoffs Points Leader: 1990
(Karlstad) (14 points)
Sweden Playoffs Assists Leader: 1990 (Karlstad)
(10 assists)
Coaching Career: Named head coach of Feldkirch (Austria) prior to 1998-99
season and remained in that position through 1998-99 season. ... Named head
coach of Langnau (Switzerland) prior to 1999-00 season and remained in that
position through 2000-01 season. ... Named Karlstad (Sweden) head coach prior
to 2001-02 season and remained in that position into 2002-03 season.
Miscellaneous: Signed with Edmonton (WHA)
as WHA free agent in March 1979. Joined Oilers for 1979 playoffs, but did not play for team during 1978-79 regular season.
Played two playoff games for Edmonton, but was ruled ineligible by WHA since
teams could not add European free agents so late in the season.
... Played on Washington
team that competed in Sweden's 1981 DN Cup tournament. ... Went back to Sweden
in June 1986 to spend 1986-87 with his hometown Karlskoga/Bofors team,
but returned to NHL a year later by signing 2-year, $900,000 contract with Washington on May 18, 1987.
... Turned down invitation to play for Sweden in 1989 World Championships due to torn
cartilage in right knee.
Personal: Nicknamed "Gus." ... Full name is Bengt-Ake
Gustafsson. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '78 | | Total Selected: |
234 | | Forwards: |
143 | | Defense: |
67 | | Goaltenders: |
24 | | Major Junior: |
127 | | College Players: |
80 |
| Canadian: |
170 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
47 | | U.S.-Born: |
47 |
| European: |
17 |
| Reached NHL: |
95 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
16 | | Hall of Fame: |
1 |
| All-Star Game: |
18 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
1 |
| Olympians: |
16 |
| Picks Traded: |
46 |
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