Eddie Läck
Eddie Läck | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eddie Jan Läck January 5, 1988 Sweden |
| Other names | The Stork |
| Occupation(s) | Ice hockey goaltender, assistant coach, real estate agent |
| Years active | 2006–2020 (player) |
| Known for | Professional ice hockey goaltender in NHL; assistant coach for Arizona State Sun Devils |
Eddie Jan Läck (born 5 January 1988) is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who now serves as an assistant coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils and works as a real estate agent in Scottsdale, Arizona. Prior to his NHL career, Läck played in Sweden with Leksands IF in HockeyAllsvenskan and Brynäs IF in Elitserien. Although he was not selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he signed with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent in 2010. Initially assigned to the Manitoba Moose, he earned recognition on the American Hockey League's 2010–11 All-Rookie Team. Throughout his NHL tenure, Läck also played for the Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, and New Jersey Devils. Known by the nickname "The Stork" because of his tall stature and lengthy legs, he obtained dual American citizenship in October 2024.
Sweden
Läck’s early hockey experience began with Norrtälje IK at the youth level, including participation in two under-16 TV-pucken tournaments representing Stockholm's second regional squad. He progressed to junior hockey with Djurgårdens IF during the 2004–05 season, where he earned a silver medal in J18 Allsvenskan before transferring to Leksands IF at the J20 level in 2006.
He made his professional debut with Leksands IF in the HockeyAllsvenskan during the 2006–07 season, appearing in three games. By the 2008–09 campaign, Läck had established himself as the team’s starting goaltender, achieving a 2.02 goals-against average (GAA) and a .930 save percentage over 32 games—surpassing former NHL player Ed Belfour. Despite being ranked ninth among European goaltenders prior to the 2009 NHL Draft, he was not selected. After three seasons with Leksands, Läck signed a two-year deal with top-division club Brynäs IF in July 2009. He made his Elitserien debut on 17 October 2009 and ended the season serving as backup to prospect Jacob Markström, posting a 2.67 GAA and .911 save percentage across 14 appearances.
Manitoba Moose/Chicago Wolves
After being scouted by Lars Lindgren of the Vancouver Canucks, Läck inked a two-year entry-level contract with Vancouver on 6 April 2010 and joined their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. His debut came on 9 October 2010 when he stopped 23 shots to secure a victory against the Rockford IceHogs. Competing for starting goaltender status, Läck emerged as Manitoba’s primary netminder, featuring in 53 games with a league-leading seventh-best GAA of 2.26 and fourth-best save percentage of .926, which earned him selection to the AHL All-Rookie Team. During the 2011 Calder Cup playoffs, he recorded a 1.99 GAA and .932 save percentage over 12 games as Manitoba advanced to the second round. Vancouver recalled him as a backup during their Stanley Cup Finals run.
With Vancouver’s starting positions firmly held by Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, Läck returned to the AHL for the 2011–12 season after Manitoba relocated to St. John's and Vancouver affiliated with the Chicago Wolves. He made his Chicago debut on 8 October 2011 and secured his first win and shutout on 21 October. A brief NHL call-up occurred in November due to an injury to Luongo; Läck dressed for one NHL game before returning to Chicago. He concluded that season with a record of 21–20–3, posting a 2.31 GAA and .925 save percentage while contributing to a Wolves franchise record for lowest team goals-against average (2.54).
Läck’s second year with Chicago was hampered by a hip flexor injury that necessitated rest and eventually surgery, prematurely ending his season after only 13 games where he compiled a 7–4–1 record along with a 3.00 GAA and .899 save percentage.
Vancouver Canucks
Läck commenced the 2013–14 campaign as the backup goaltender for the Canucks, achieving his inaugural victory on 6 October 2013 with a 5–4 overtime win against the Calgary Flames. After only five NHL appearances, he secured a two-year contract extension valued at U.S.$2.3 million on 15 November. He notched his first NHL shutout on 9 December 2013 in a game versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
Following the trade of starting goaltender Roberto Luongo to the Florida Panthers on 4 March 2014, Läck was promoted to an NHL starting role alongside fellow Swedish netminder Jacob Markström. Despite the Canucks acquiring Ryan Miller as their primary goaltender in summer 2014, Läck assumed a key role when Miller suffered an injury in February 2015. He contributed significantly to maintaining their playoff position and started multiple postseason matches. On 17 April 2015, he earned his first Stanley Cup playoff victory with a 4–1 triumph over Calgary. The Canucks' postseason run concluded with a six-game defeat in the opening round.
Carolina Hurricanes
Läck was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on 27 June 2015, in exchange for a third-round pick in 2015 and a seventh-round pick in 2016. Prior to making his debut for Carolina, he agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $5.5 million, securing his stay through 2018 on 3 October 2015.
Calgary Flames
On 29 June 2017, Läck was included in a trade sending him from the Hurricanes to the Calgary Flames, along with Ryan Murphy and a seventh-round selection in 2019. In return, Carolina received prospect Keegan Kanzig and a sixth-round pick in 2019. The Flames placed Läck on waivers on 23 November 2017 for assignment to their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat, with the assignment finalized on 24 November.
New Jersey Devils
Läck was traded to the New Jersey Devils on 30 December 2017 in exchange for defenseman Dalton Prout. He was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils. Recalled to the NHL roster on 4 February 2018, Läck made his Devils debut as a starter against the Boston Bruins on 11 February. On 17 February, he achieved a career-best performance with 48 saves during a 4–3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
During the 2018–19 season, Läck did not appear in any NHL contests and played only six games for Binghamton before undergoing hip surgery in December that ended his season prematurely.
On 30 March 2020, after taking time away from professional hockey, Läck announced his retirement from the sport.
International play
Läck represented the Swedish national team at the 2017 IIHF World Championship held in Germany and France. Initially serving as backup to Viktor Fasth, he made his tournament debut during the round-robin phase by posting a shutout with 19 saves in a 2–0 win over Latvia on 11 May 2017. With starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist joining mid-tournament, Läck became Sweden’s third-string goalie and did not see further ice time as Sweden captured gold by defeating Canada in a shootout, 2–1, on 21 May 2017.
Coaching career and life after playing
On August 14, 2019, Läck took a break from his active playing career to focus on rehabilitating a hip injury and simultaneously accepted a position as a goaltender coach at Arizona State University. Currently, he lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife Johanna and has transitioned into a career as a real estate agent.
Playing style
Standing out as a sizable goaltender, Läck utilized his physical presence to effectively see through traffic and proactively challenge opposing shooters. Despite his large frame, he exhibited quick lateral agility, dependable net coverage, excellent balance, and precise positioning.
Regular season and playoffs
2010–11 AHL seasonManitoba Moose AHL 53 |28 |21 |4 |3,135 |118 |5 |2.26 |.926 12 |6 |5 |752 |25 |2 |1.99 |.932 2011–12 AHL seasonChicago Wolves AHL 46 |21 |20 |3 |2,703 |104 |4 |2.31 |.925 5 |2 |2 |304 |11 |0 |2.17 |.917 2012–13 AHL season Chicago Wolves AHL 13 |7 |4 |1 |760 |38 |1 |3.00 |.899 2013–14 NHL seasonVancouver Canucks NHL 41 |16 |17 |5 |2,319 |93 |4 |2.41 |.912 2014–15 NHL season Vancouver Canucks NHL 41 |18 |13 |4 |2,324 |95 |2 |2.45 |.921 4 |1 |3 |198 |10 |0 |3.03 |.886 2015–16 NHL seasonCarolina Hurricanes NHL 34 |12 |14 |6 |1,921 |90 |2 |2.81 |>901 2016–17 NHL season Carolina Hurricanes NHL 20 8 7 3 1,090 48 1 2.64 .902 2016–17 AHL seasonCharlotte Checkers AHL 2 1 1 0 120 3 0 1.50 .952 2017–18 NHL seasonCalgary Flames NHL 4 1 2 0 136 12 0 5.29 .813 2017–18 AHL seasonStockton Heat AHL 5 2 2 1 303 13 0 2.57 .916 2017–18 Binghamton Devils AHL 16 6 7 2 973 47 0 2.90 .889 2017–18 New Jersey Devils NHL 4 1 2 0 207 11 0 3.18 .903 2018–19 AHL season Binghamton Devils AHL 6 2 3 1 351 24 0 4.10 .863| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2004–05 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 1 | — | — | — | 60 | 6 | 0 | 6.00 | .872 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 23 | — | — | — | 1,400 | 49 | 3 | 2.10 | .918 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Leksands IF | J20 | 30 | — | — | — | 1,781 | 85 | 0 | 2.86 | .919 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Leksand IF | SWE-2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 78 | 4 | 0 | 3.10 | .867 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 3.06 | .893 | ||
| 2007–08 | Leksand IF | J20 | 18 | — | — | — | 1,077 | 47 | 4 | 2.62 | .912 | 3 | — | — | 179 | 8 | 0 | 2.68 | .925 | ||
| 2007–08 | Leksand IF | SWE-2 | 24 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 1,441 | 45 | 4 | 1.87 | .923 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 89 | 5 | 0 | 3.39 | .792 | ||
| 2008–09 | Leksand IF | J20 | 2 | — | — | — | 120 | 4 | 1 | 2.00 | .900 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Leksand IF | SWE-2 | 32 | 23 | 9 | 0 | 1,905 | 64 | 4 | 2.02 | .930 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 355 | 14 | 0 | 2.36 | .903 | ||
| 2009–10 | Brynäs IF | J20 | 6 | — | — | — | 359 | 21 | 0 | 3.51 | .884 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Brynäs IF | SEL | 14 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 809 | 36 | 0 | 2.67 | .911 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 79 | 2 | 0 | 1.53 | .946 | ||
| SHL totals | 14 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 809 | 36 | 0 | 2.67 | .911 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 79 | 2 | 0 | 1.53 | .946 | ||||
| NHL totals | 143 | 56 | 55 | 18 | 7,996 | 349 | 9 | 2.62 | .909 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 198 | 10 | 0 | 3.03 | .886 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Sweden | WC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 1.000 | |
| Career senior statistics | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 1.000 | |||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| AHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2011 | |