Elias Fredrik Pettersson is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward and alternate captain for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.
Born on November 12, 1998, in Sundsvall, Sweden, he grew up in the small town of Ånge.
Selected fifth overall by the Canucks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Pettersson quickly established himself as one of the franchise’s cornerstone players after a dominant junior career in Sweden.
He is of partial Finnish descent through his paternal grandfather, Toivo Jokelainen, who arrived in Sweden as a war child in 1941.
His father worked as a Zamboni driver and rink manager at the local arena, giving Elias and his brother extensive ice time from a young age.
Siblings
Elias has one sibling, an older brother named Emil Pettersson, born on January 14, 1994.
Emil is also a professional ice hockey center who has spent the majority of his career in Europe.
The brothers grew up skating together on the ice in Ånge, where their father often gave them free access to the local rink.
Elias has spoken fondly of those early days of unstructured play, describing how they would simply skate and have fun using their imaginations.
Emil was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
He later spent time in the American Hockey League with the Milwaukee Admirals and Tucson Roadrunners after a trade to the Arizona Coyotes organization.
He never appeared in an NHL regular-season game and returned to Europe.
In Europe, he has played for clubs including Timrå IK, Skellefteå AIK, Växjö Lakers and HC Spartak Moscow in the KHL.
He won an SHL championship with Växjö Lakers in the 2020-21 season.
After several seasons back with Timrå IK, Emil signed with the SCL Tigers of the Swiss National League for the 2026-27 season.
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Career
Pettersson began his organized hockey career with Ånge IK’s youth teams before moving to Timrå IK’s junior system.
He made his professional debut with Timrå in HockeyAllsvenskan during the 2015-16 season.
After a strong showing that included 40 points in 43 games the following year, he signed with the Växjö Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League for the 2017-18 season.
That season proved historic.
As a 19-year-old, he recorded 56 points in 44 regular-season games, setting a junior scoring record.
He then added 19 points in 13 playoff games to help Växjö win the Le Mat Trophy as SHL champions.
He was named SHL Rookie of the Year, Forward of the Year, and playoff MVP with the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy.
He joined the Vancouver Canucks for the 2018-19 season and immediately made an impact. He scored in his NHL debut and finished with 66 points, including 28 goals and 38 assists, in 71 games.
Subsequent seasons saw steady production, including a career-high 102 points, with 39 goals and 63 assists, in 80 games during the 2022-23 season.
He signed a three-year extension in 2021 and then a long-term eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension in March 2024.
Pettersson has also represented Sweden internationally.
He won gold at the 2018 World Championship and earned a silver medal at the 2018 World Junior Championship.
Later seasons included injury challenges and fluctuating production, but he has remained a key offensive contributor and leader for the Canucks.
Accolades
Pettersson’s individual honors include the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 2019.
He was also selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team that same year. He has made multiple NHL All-Star Game appearances in 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2024.
He was named NHL Rookie of the Month twice during his debut season.
In Sweden, he earned the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy as SHL playoff MVP, SHL Rookie of the Year, and SHL Forward of the Year in 2018.
He also won the Le Mat Trophy as a team champion with Växjö.
Pettersson has received several Vancouver Canucks team awards, including the Cyrus H. McLean Trophy as the club’s leading scorer.
He has also won the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the team’s MVP in strong individual seasons.
Internationally, his contributions helped Sweden capture World Championship gold in 2018.
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