Rickard Rakell

Rickard Lars Gunnar Roland Rakell (born 5 May 1993) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

While playing for the AIK IF in Sweden, Rakell was drafted 41st overall by the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) 2010 Import Draft. Upon finishing his rookie season with the Whalers, Rakell was drafted in the first round, 30th overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL entry draft. He remained with the Whalers for two more seasons before joining the Ducks for four games at the start of their 2012–13 season. Upon making his NHL debut on 19 January 2013, Rakell became the sixth youngest player to appear in a game for the Ducks at 19 years, eight months and 14 days. To avoid burning the first year of his entry-level contract, Rakell was re-assigned to the Whalers for the remainder of the 2012–13 regular season.

Rakell played within the Ducks organization for nine seasons, during which he set numerous person and franchise records. His on-ice success also helped the Ducks qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs five times during his tenure with the team. During the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, Rakell became the first player in franchise history to score their first career goal in the playoffs. He also helped the Ducks set a franchise record for most playoff power play goals with four during Game 5 of the team's first-round series against the Dallas Stars. Two years later, he became the fourth-youngest Duck to eclipse 30 goals in a season and the first NHL player under the age of 24 with 10 game-winning goals since Steven Stamkos in 2011–12.

Internationally, Rakell has represented Sweden at both the junior and senior levels. He made his debut for Sweden as the youngest player on the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships roster. Rakell helped Team Sweden win gold at the 2018 IIHF World Championship while making his senior team debut at the international level.

Rakell was born on 5 May 1993 in Sollentuna, Sweden, to parents Roland and Annika. He grew up in Stockholm alongside his brother Robin and sister Rebecka. As his grandfather Åke Rakell was a professional table tennis player, Rakell played the sport until he was 14, when he dedicated his focus to ice hockey. Growing up in Stockholm, Rakell idolized Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mats Sundin and, later Patric Hornqvist. Rakell's cousin Mathias also plays ice hockey.

While growing up in Sweden, Rakell played for the AIK IF in both the J18 Elit and J20 Elit. He played in a defensive role until he was 14 when he switched to forward to score more. After recording 25 points in the J18 Allsv and four points in the J20, Rakell was drafted 41st overall by the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) 2010 Import Draft. Rakell later stated that fellow Swede Gabriel Landeskog was a major influence in encouraging him to move to North America. As he was a year older, Landeskog had already begun playing in North America and was proving to be very successful in the OHL. Upon moving to North America, Rakell began his rookie season with the Whalers during the 2010–11 season. He originally enrolled in a local high school but eventually dropped out due to his lack of North American-based knowledge. He would eventually earn the equivalent of a high school diploma online. Rakell began the season strong by tallying 23 points through his first 25 OHL games and thus earned a spot in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Following the Top Prospects Game, Rakell was ranked 34th among all OHL players eligible for the 2011 NHL entry draft in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's Midterm Rankings list. He finished his rookie season with 20 goals and 43 points in 49 games and was ranked 30th among all OHL draft players eligible. After attending the NHL Combine, Rakell was drafted in the first round, 30th overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL entry draft.

Following the draft, Rakell participated in the Ducks' training camp but was returned to the Whalers to start the 2011–12 season. This would prove to be a breakout season for Rakell, who surpassed his previous season's totals in goals, assists, and points. By 12 December 2011, Rakell co-led his team with 16 goals and ranked second with 20 assists for 36 points through 31 games. By late January, this had improved to 22 goals and 23 assists for 45 points through 39 games. As the Whalers qualified for the OHL playoffs, Rakell continued to build on his solid rookie campaign with an even better second year. He finished the regular season with 28 goals, including eight on the power play, with 34 assists over 60 games. Leading up to their playoff run, Rakell was voted Best Defensive Forward in the Western Conference Coaches Poll. Rakell and the Whalers eliminated the Guelph Storm in six games and met with the Kitchener Rangers in the Quarterfinals. He finished the postseason leading the Whalers with 10 assists while ranking third in points with 12.

During the offseason, Rakell signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Ducks on 3 July 2012. He again participated in their training camp before being returned to the OHL for the 2012–13 season, his final year of major junior hockey. While the 2012–13 NHL lockout was occurring, Rakell began his third year with the Whalers by accumulating 13 goals and 17 assists through 32 games. Once the lockout concluded, he participated in their training camp and made their opening night roster. He subsequently made his NHL debut on 19 January 2013, against the Vancouver Canucks. Following his debut, Rakel became the sixth youngest player to appear in a game for the Ducks at 19 years, eight months and 14 days. He remained in the Ducks' lineup and played on the team's "First-Round Line" alongside fellow first-round picks Kyle Palmieri and Emerson Etem. To avoid burning the first year of his entry-level contract, Rakell was re-assigned to the Whalers on 13 February, after going scoreless with a minus-2 rating in four games. Upon rejoining the Whalers, Rakell was named the OHL Player of the Week ending on 24 February, after he accumulated six goals and three assists for nine points through four games. He finished the 2012–13 regular season with 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points through 40 games.