Inge Hammarström

Hans Inge Hammarström (born 20 January 1948) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey left winger. He played six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues between 1973 and 1979. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1964 to 1982, was spent in the Swedish Division 1 and Elitserien, the top leagues at the time. Internationally Hammarström played for the Swedish national team at several tournaments, including the 1972 Winter Olympics and five World Championships. After retiring Hammarström worked as a scout.

Inge Hammarström
Born (1948-01-20) 20 January 1948[1]
Timrå, Sweden[1]
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for Wifsta/Östrands IF
Timrå IK
Brynäs IF
Toronto Maple Leafs
St. Louis Blues
National team  Sweden
Playing career 1964–1982

Playing career

Hammarström played his first ice hockey games at the top national league level in 1963 for Timrå IK, at the age of 15. The 1968–69 season he left for Brynäs IF where he would win the Swedish Championship four times (1970, 1971, 1972 and later in 1980).

In 1973, Hammarström became the first player from Timrå IK ever to play in the NHL. Along with Börje Salming, he was also one of the first two Europeans to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both Hammarström and Salming had to debunk the misconception among Canadians in the NHL of the "chicken Swede."[2] An example came from Maple Leafs team owner Harold Ballard who once complained, "Hammarstrom could go into the corner with a dozen eggs in his pocket and not break one of them."[3] He went on to spend five seasons with the Maple Leafs and two for the St. Louis Blues. He had been traded from the Maple Leafs to the Blues for Jerry Butler on 1 November 1977.[4] His career ended in 1982, aged 35, after another three seasons with Brynäs IF.

Olympics

He competed as a member of the Sweden men's national ice hockey team at the 1972 Winter Olympics held in Japan.[5]

After retirement

After his playing career ended, Hammarström began working as a European-based ice hockey scout, including a stint with Central Scouting. From 1990 to 2008, he was the chief European scout for the Philadelphia Flyers.[6] He also worked with the Vancouver Canucks from 2008 to 2018.[7]

Hammarström is credited with being the scout who pushed the hardest for Philadelphia to select Peter Forsberg with the sixth overall pick of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, the pick was considered a surprise. Forsberg had been ranked considerably lower by The Hockey News in its 1991 Draft Preview, and most observers expected the player to be taken late in the first round or early in the second round of the draft.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1963–64 Wifsta/Östrand-Fagerviks IF SWE 40——— —————
1964–65 Wifsta/Östrand-Fagerviks IF SWE 20125172 —————
1965–66 Wifsta/Östrand-Fagerviks IF SWE 2198172 20000
1966–67 Timrå IK SWE 191411254 —————
1967–68 Timrå IK SWE 211410248 —————
1968–69 Brynäs IF SWE 64150 —————
1969–70 Brynäs IF SWE 28145194 —————
1970–71 Brynäs IF SWE 281013238 —————
1971–72 Brynäs IF SWE 2819102910 —————
1972–73 Brynäs IF SWE 2818112914 —————
1973–74 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 6620234314 41010
1974–75 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 6921204123 71344
1975–76 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 7619214021 —————
1976–77 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 7824174116 20000
1977–78 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 31120 —————
1977–78 St. Louis Blues NHL 701919384 —————
1978–79 St. Louis Blues NHL 651222348 —————
1979–70 Brynäs IF SWE 3416112732 75386
1980–81 Brynäs IF SWE 291382120 —————
1981–82 Brynäs IF SWE 3410122220 —————
SWE totals 300153105258124 95386
NHL totals 42711612323986 132354

International
Medal record
Representing Sweden Sweden
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1973 Soviet Union
Silver medal – second place 1981 Sweden
Bronze medal – third place 1971 Switzerland
Bronze medal – third place 1972 Czechoslovakia
Bronze medal – third place 1979 Soviet Union
Year Team Event GPGAPtsPIM
1971 Sweden WC 72134
1972 Sweden OLY 64260
1972 Sweden WC 106066
1973 Sweden WC 106392
1976 Sweden CC 51232
1979 Sweden WC 84152
1981 Sweden WC 61122
Senior totals 5224103418

References
  1. Inge Hammarström. Swedish Olympic Committee
  2. Mulvoy, Mark. "New immigration policy: sign a Swede," Sports Illustrated, October 29, 1973. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  3. Gammons, Peter. "The Swedish invasion," Sports Illustrated, October 18, 1976. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  4. The Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club, Official Centennial Publication, 1917–2017. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Limited, 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  5. "Inge Hammarström Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  6. Pelletier, Joe. "Inge Hammarstrom". mapleleafslegends.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  7. "Canucks send Dave Gagner to Finland, to make sure Forsberg gamble is worth taking". 6 November 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
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