Nyquist was born in Halmstad in southern Sweden. He and his family later moved to Malmö, where Nyquist began playing ice hockey for a local youth team, Limhamn Hockey. He later joined the Malmö Redhawks organization, playing for their youth teams. After graduating from high school with top grades, he moved to Orono, Maine, U.S., to continue his academic and ice hockey career at the University of Maine, where he played for the Black Bears.
Nyquist made his professional ice hockey debut with the Red Wings' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, on 25 March 2011, in a game against the Texas Stars. In his second AHL game, on 26 March, also against the Texas Stars, he scored his first AHL goal on an assist from Jamie Tardif.[citation needed]
During the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, his second professional campaign, Nyquist recorded three goals and three assists in 22 regular season games for the Red Wings. In Game 2 of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, Nyquist scored a game-winning overtime goal against the Anaheim Ducks to even the series at 1–1. He also scored the first goal in Game 3 of the 2013 conference semifinals against the Chicago Blackhawks,[7] though Chicago would eventually defeat Detroit and emerge as Stanley Cup champions. In 14 playoff games, Nyquist recorded two goals and three assists.
In addition to his NHL contributions in 2012–13, Nyquist was also the leading scorer for the Grand Rapids Griffins, recording 23 goals and 37 assists in 60 regular season games. After the Red Wings were eliminated from the playoffs, Nyquist joined the Griffins during the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs. He recorded two goals and five assists in 10 AHL playoff games to help lead the Griffins to the Calder Cup championship.[8] Nyquist was named the Detroit Red Wings' rookie of the year at the conclusion of the season by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters' Association.[9]
On 20 August 2013, prior to the beginning of the 2013–14 season, the Red Wings signed Nyquist to a two-year, $1.9 million contract extension.[10] On 2 February 2014, Nyquist registered his first career hat-trick in a 6–5 overtime win over the Washington Capitals.[11] On 24 March, Nyquist was named NHL's first star of the week; he led all NHL players with six goals and tied for the League lead with seven points in four games, helping the Red Wings earn seven of a possible eight points.[12] He was also named the NHL second star of the month for March. He finished the month with the second-most goals, 12, and was tied for fifth with 18 points to help the Red Wings post a 7–6–2 record and move into the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Nyquist scored in nine of 15 games, including a six-game goal streak, the longest by a Red Wing since 2010. Nyquist registered three two-goal games in March, and posted a career-high four-point night on 7 March.[13]
Nyquist finished the 2013–14 season with a team-leading 28 goals, in addition to 20 assists, in 57 games played for the Red Wings. He also led all NHL skaters with 23 goals from 20 January until the end of the regular season. With six game-winning goals, he became the youngest player to lead the Red Wings in that statistic since 24-year-old Sergei Fedorov led the Red Wings with 10 in 1993–94.[14]
On 15 October 2014, Nyquist played in his 100th career NHL game. He also became the first Red Wing to score 35 or more goals in his first 100 career NHL games since Vyacheslav Kozlov recorded 37 goals for Detroit between the 1991–92 and 1993–94 seasons.[15]
On 15 February 2017, Nyquist was suspended for six games for dangerously high-sticking Minnesota Wild defenceman Jared Spurgeon in the face during a game between the two teams that took place three days earlier.[18]
San Jose Sharks
On 24 February 2019, Nyquist was traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 conditional third-round pick.[19] He recorded six goals and five assists during 19 regular season games with his new team, and contributed one goal 10 ten assists during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs as the Sharks advanced to the Western Conference finals, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion, the St. Louis Blues.
Columbus Blue Jackets
On 1 July 2019, Nyquist left the Sharks as a free agent and signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.[20] Nyquist finished his first season as a Blue Jacket with 42 points in 70 games.
On 4 November 2020, it was announced that Nyquist underwent surgery on his left shoulder to address a labral tear and would miss 5-6 months.[21] He missed the entire 2020–21 season with this injury, and the Blue Jackets did not make the playoffs.
In his final season under contract with the Blue Jackets in 2022–23, Nyquist contributed with 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 48 regular season games before suffering an injury, placing him on the injured reserve on 28 January 2022.[22]
Approaching the trade deadline with the Blue Jackets in last place in the league, and while still recovering from injury, Nyquist was traded by Columbus to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick on 28 February 2023.[23] Nyquist returned to health nearing the conclusion of the regular season, and was productive in his return with five points in just three games. He recorded five assists through six playoff appearances in a first-round loss to the Dallas Stars.
Nashville Predators
As a free agent from the Wild, Nyquist opted to remain in the Central Division by agreeing to a two-year, $6.37 million contract with the Nashville Predators on 1 July 2023.[24]
Nyquist was selected as a replacement for Red Wings' teammate Johan Franzén to represent Sweden at the 2014 Winter Olympics, where he won a silver medal.[25] He represented Sweden at the 2014 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded four goals and two assists in 10 games, and won a bronze medal.
Nyquist represented Sweden at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, where he was the leading scorer for Sweden, recording seven goals and one assist in eight games. His seven goals was tied with Patrik Laine for the tournament lead.[26]
Nyquist represented Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded four goals and one assist in nine games, and won a gold medal.
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