Anaheim’s 18-year-old Swedish rookie Leo Carlsson scored a hat trick in the match against the Flyers. Jordan Staal is the youngest person to have achieved a hat trick in the NHL.
Swedish player representing Anaheim Ducks Leo Carlsson scored three goals in the NHL round Finnish time on the night between Saturday and Sunday, when the Ducks suffered a 3-6 loss to the Flyers.
At the same time, 18-year-old Carlsson became the youngest Swede to score a hat trick in an NHL match. It is also the youngest player in Anaheim Ducks club history to hit a hat trick.
Carlsson was 18 years and 319 days old when he succeeded in that trick.
The youngster, who normally operates as a center forward, was able to play on the right wing with superiority in the Flyers match.
– I often played on the right wing last season in Sweden, but today for the first time also in the NHL, and it seemed to work well. We were dangerous outnumbered, Carlsson commented to Sportbladet.
Carlsson started the scoring in the second period as Anaheim got the upper hand. Alex Killorn served the puck to the Swedish right wing, who fired a precise wrist shot past his compatriot, the Flyers’ veskari by Samuel Ersson.
Midway through the third period, Carlsson broke out into a two-on-one attack with Killorn. The experienced Canadian again passed the puck to Carlsson, who made no mistake.
For his third goal of the evening, Carlsson struck again with superiority, this time a chain mate Troy Terry’s great input.
Carlsson, who came to the NHL ice from Örebro, recorded a total of five shots in the Flyers match, but the Flyers won the match despite everything.
– We lost too much puck and didn’t help enough Lukas Dostalia (Anaheim goaltender). We just have to work harder and make sure we are better next time, Carlsson assured.
The 18-year-old was embarrassed about the hat trick after the game.
– It feels a little strange, but at the same time very cool. It would have been even more fun if we had won.
The rookie striker replaced the star of the team – the injured one – in the first field Trevor Zegrasia.
– I’m used to playing with Terry, but Killorn and I only played a little during the training season. However, the game worked well and Killorn distributed good passes, Carlsson thanked his chain mates Terry and Killorn for his hat trick.
In the most recent Ikan änäri podcast, Leo Carlsson was also talked about, when Anaheim’s sensational fall was discussed, among other things.
Patrik Laine dominated the hat trick statistics
Leo Carlsson is having a convincing rookie season. He has hit in nine matches, 6+1=7.
The 18-year-old is sixth in the rookie point exchange. The most effective of the newcomers has been the number one booking of the summer, representing Chicago Connor Bedard With 11 power points in 12 games.
Carlsson was booked in last summer’s draft in the first round and right after Bedard at number two.
The Swede is the only rookie to hit a hat-trick this season. A total of 21 players have succeeded in the trick, when around 13 matches have been played during the season.
However, there are plenty of hat trick makers in the history of the NHL who are even younger than Carlsson. A total of 12 players have scored three goals in a match younger than the Swedish striker.
The youngest has been Jordan Staal, who hit the hat-trick at the age of 18 years and 153 days. Today, Staal, who skippers Carolina, succeeded in the trick in Pittsburgh’s shirt in 2007.
Patrick Laine has managed to hit the hat trick three times even younger than Carlsson. The Finnish striker made those hat tricks in his rookie season in 2016–17.
Laine hit his first hat trick at the age of 18 years and 183 days, and with that he is second in the overall statistics after Staal.