Nicklas Lidström is arguably Sweden’s best defenceman of all time, having won Olympic gold, World Championship gold and being member of the Triple Gold Club for also having won the Stanley Cup. He scored maybe the biggest goal in the history of Swedish hockey, the game winner in the Olympic final against Finland in Turin 2006.
During his NHL career, Lidström helped the Detroit Red Wings win four Stanley Cups and was awarded the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman, several times. He also played in a whopping 1,564 regular-season games in his NHL, piling up 1,142 points, fourth-most in franchise history, with 264 goals and 878 assists.
After 20 years in the NHL, Lidstrom announced his retirement last May and moved back to Sweden to his home town of Västerås, 100 kilometres west of Stockholm. His newest job as World Championship ambassador will see him getting involved in hockey matters outside the rink, something the hockey super star is happy to do.
“It feels good to be able to follow the World championship in a different way than before,” said Lidström. “My task will be to promote the championship, meet young players and of course also meet partners and sponsors.”
As for the Swedish 2013 WM organizing committee, it is ecstatic and proud that Lidström, truly one of Sweden’s greatest ice hockey heroes, has chosen to be an ambassador for the period before and during the World Championship.
“Nicklas has through the years been a great leader for his team in Detroit and in the Swedish national team,” says Tony Wiréhn, general secretary for the Swedish organizing committee. “He is humble and his greatness as an athlete will be a huge benefit for us. It will to be fun to work with Nicklas before and during the IIHF 2013 World Championship.”
Besides his duties as an ambassador for the Swedish organization Nicklas Lidström also works as a European scout for the Red Wings.
Click here for tickets to the 2013 IIHF World Championship.
For further information:
Tony Wiréhn, generalsecretary: +46 706 807 600
[email protected]Niclas Lidström, media officer: +46 708 100 666
[email protected]
