Career

Early career

Huselius' hometown is Haninge, a town near Stockholm. He was drafted 47th overall at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers and entered the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2002. A fast, skillful playmaker, Huselius typically plays on the wings and spent the early part of his career in the Swedish Elitserien, playing for Hammarby IF, Färjestad BK and Frölunda HC. The Panthers traded him to the Calgary Flames on December 2, 2005, where he managed 39 points in 54 games, adjusting well despite fears by some analysts that he would not fit into Calgary's physical, defensive playing style. In the 2006-07 season, he held a point-streak of 15 games, the second-highest in the NHL that season. Huselius also garnered a career-high 77 points that season, scoring 34 goals and adding 43 assists. During the 2007-08 season, Huselius recorded his first career NHL hat-trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On July 2, 2008, Huselius signed a four-year, $19 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He recorded 21 goals during his first season with the Blue Jackets and also scored a goal during the Blue Jackets' first round playoff loss at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings; it was the Blue Jackets' first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Huselius played in only 33 games for Columbus after tearing a chest muscle. Following the 2011-12 season, he was released. On August 23, Huselius stated that the Blue Jackets had rushed his recovery, and that he was not given ample time to recover from his injury. He stated that he was forced into game action too early, which resulted in him pulling his groin muscle and forcing him to miss the rest of the season with a slow recovery. On January 8, 2013, just days after the 2012-13 NHL lockout ended, Huselius announced his retirement from professional hockey due to injury.

Suspension due to sex scandal

In 2005, Huselius and fellow Swedish hockey players Henrik Tallinder and Andreas Lilja were investigated on suspicion of sexual exploitation. In March 2005, all three players were suspended from the Swedish national team for one year, with Huselius and Tallinder being released by Linköpings HC and Lilja being suspended by Mora IK for the rest of the season.

On February 9, 2005, a 22-year-old woman accused the trio of raping her. Two days later, police dropped their investigation due to a lack of evidence. However, a special prosecutor reopened the case in March, leading to the suspensions. Huselius and the others were cleared in June of that year after a special prosecutor ruled there was no evidence they forced the woman to have sex.

Awards

• NHL All-Rookie Team - 2002

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1996-97	Färjestad BK	SEL		13	2	0	2	4		5	1	0	1	0
1997-98	Färjestads BK	SEL		34	2	1	3	2		11	0	0	0	0
1998-99	Färjestad BK	SEL		28	4	4	8	4		—	—	—	—	—
1998-99	Frölunda HC	SEL		20	2	2	4	2		4	1	0	1	0
1999-00	Frölunda HC	SEL		50	21	23	44	20		5	2	2	4	8
2000-01	Frölunda HC	SEL		49	32	35	67	26		5	4	5	9	14
2001-02	Florida Panthers	NHL		79	23	22	45	14		—	—	—	—	—
2002-03	Florida Panthers	NHL		78	20	23	43	20		—	—	—	—	—
2003-04	Florida Panthers	NHL		76	10	21	31	24		—	—	—	—	—
2004-05	Linköpings HC	SEL		34	14	35	49	10		—	—	—	—	—
2004-05	SC Rapperswil-Jona	NLA		—	—	—	—	—		4	1	3	4	2
2005-06	Florida Panthers	NHL		24	5	3	8	4		—	—	—	—	—
2005-06	Calgary Flames	NHL		54	15	24	39	36		7	2	4	6	4
2006-07	Calgary Flames	NHL		81	34	43	77	26		6	0	2	2	4
2007-08	Calgary Flames	NHL		81	25	41	66	40		7	0	4	4	6
2008-09	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		74	21	35	56	44		4	1	1	2	4
2009-10	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		74	23	40	63	36		—	—	—	—	—
2010-11	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		39	14	9	23	10		—	—	—	—	—
2011-12	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2012-13	AIK	SEL		5	2	1	3	0		—	—	—	—	—
SEL totals				233	79	101	180	68		30	8	7	15	22
NHL totals				662	190	261	451	256		24	3	11	14	18

International play

Kristian Huselius

Medal record
Representing Sweden
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2002 Sweden
	2001 Germany

• Played for Sweden in:
• 1998 World Junior Championships
• 1999 World Junior Championships
• 2000 World Championships
• 2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships (bronze medal)
• 2002 Men's World Championships (bronze medal)

International statistics

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000	Sweden	WC		7	4	1	5	4
2001	Sweden	WC		9	2	3	5	0
2002	Sweden	WC		9	5	6	11	0
Senior int'l totals				25	11	10	21	4

[ Source: Wikipedia ]