30 Sharks: Johan Hedberg
- Updated: February 26, 2021
While his professional career began nearly a decade earlier, Johan Hedberg only began to waves in North America during the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs. That spring, with injuries to netminders Garth Snow and Jean-Sebastien Aubin, Hedberg took the reins in the Pittsburgh Penguins goal while sporting his out-of-place Manitoba Moose mask.
After leading the Pens to a surprise Eastern Final appearance that spring, Hedberg established himself as one of the league’s most reliable netminders, playing until 2014 and immediately transitioning into the coaching ranks.
After spending the 2014-15 season as the goaltending coach of the AHL’s Albany Devils, Hedberg traveled west to join the San Jose Sharks’ coaching staff.
In a continuation of our “30 Sharks” series, I speak with Johan Hedberg about his tenure with the Sharks.
Cross-Country with a Familiar Face
Entering his second season with the New Jersey Devils in 2011, Johan Hedberg met the club’s new head coach, Peter DeBoer.
Despite spending much of the season backing up Hall-of-Famer Martin Brodeur, Hedberg enjoyed his time with the Devils, and DeBoer was a big part of that. So, when DeBoer was hired by the Sharks as their new coach in 2015, he got right to work in bringing his new staff, which included his former netminder.
“I was very excited to get a chance like that early into my coaching career,” Hedberg reflected. “I thought very highly of Pete as a coach when I played for him and I thought it would be a great opportunity to get a chance to learn from one of the best coaches in the league. Also, to get a chance to join an organization like the Sharks that had been so successful for so many years was also a big factor for me.”
The Student Becomes the Teacher
In his five seasons as the Sharks’ goalie coach, Hedberg had some proteges, most notably Martin Jones and Aaron Dell.
I asked the Leksand, Sweden native how his netminders benefited from his expertise.
“Well, it’s hard to answer for them,” Hedberg admitted. But, would give them confidence to open up about how they felt and also believed in the ideas I brought to them.
To say that Martin Jones took away a lot from Hedberg would be quite the understatement.
Like Hedberg and DeBoer, 2015-16 was Jones’ first season with the Sharks after being traded from Boston (via Los Angeles). 2015-16 also marked Jones first campaign as an NHL starter and thanks to Hedberg’s guidance, the former King’s maiden season in northern California was a successful one.
After recording 37 wins, a 2.27 goals-against average and six shutouts, Jones rolled right into the playoffs before leading the Sharks to their first-ever Stanley Cup Final.
“I hope that they felt that they had someone that had been in the same situations as them,” Hedberg added.
Unfortunately for the Sharks, they lost in the Final in six games to Hedberg’s old team, the aforementioned Pittsburgh Penguins.
Looking Back
Johan Hedberg has since returned to his native season where he is in the midst of his first season as head coach of Mora IK. Of course, while he is happy to be back home, Hedberg had nothing but positive feedback about his time in San Jose.
“I had a great experience with the Sharks,” the former netminder emphasized. “A Stanley Cup Final as the biggest achievement and many fun memories. I learned from a lot of good people not only about hockey but also other aspects in life. A lot of fun times.”
After spending five of his first six seasons playing for his hometown Leksands IF, Hedberg spent some time in the minors before getting his first shot in the NHL with the Penguins at 27.
At 6-feet, 190 pounds, Johan Hedberg was never the biggest player on the ice, nor the most sought-after. He was drafted back in 1994, being forced to hear 217 names called when he was, at last, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers.
A trustworthy, not to mention great, goaltender, Johan Hedberg was fortunate enough to jump into the coaching ranks almost immediately after his playing career came to a close. Since then, he has helped shape young players into being their best while exercising his own skills as a coach, not to mention his lineage as a player.
As we celebrate 30 years of the San Jose Sharks, we celebrate Johan Hedberg.
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