Nils Höglander is from the village of Bockträsk [sv] in rural northern Sweden, near the town of Malå.[2][3] As Bockträsk only had a population of about 20 people, Höglander often played with his older sister, Tilda.[4] He started playing hockey at age three, having learned to skate on Bockträsket [sv] lake.[4] As a youth, he played for Malå IF.[3] As he grew up, his family moved to Arvidsjaur, and then Skellefteå, so he and Tilda could play hockey.[2][4] He did not succeed in tryouts for Skellefteå AIK, and instead played for Clemensnäs HC [sv].[2] In 2012, when Höglander was 11 years old, Tilda died suddenly of a ruptured coronary artery.[2][5]
In 2015, Höglander played for Timrå IK's U16 and U18 squads.[6][7] Höglander's future Canucks teammate Elias Pettersson was also at Timrå during this time, though they played in different age groups.[8]
Playing career
From 2016 to 2018, Höglander played in Stockholm for AIK IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden's second-highest men's hockey league.[7] In 2018, when he was 17 years old, he moved further south to Ängelholm to play for Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League, the top league in Swedish hockey.[8] On 30 April 2020, Höglander signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks.[9] With the 2020–21 North American season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Höglander was returned to begin the season on loan to Rögle BK until the resumption of NHL training camp in January 2021.[10]
Höglander had a successful 2023–24 season, setting a career high in goals (24) and points (36). The Canucks qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in his career, where he had one goal and one assist in 13 games before the Canucks were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers. On October 6, 2024, Höglander signed a three-year, $9 million contract extension with Vancouver.[17]
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