Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington, 28, has signed a one-year
contract with Djurgården
IF, the Stockholm-based SHL team announced on Saturday.
Born
and raised in Stockholm, Kylington returns to Djurgården
after a 13-year absense and 10 seasons in the NHL.
“I’m
looking forward to playing in front of the fans here at Hovet – it’s
something I’ve thought about for a long time,” Kylington said,
referring to Djurgården’s long-time home rink. “I’ve only seen
it from the stands, so now it’ll be fun to get a feel for it and be
able to give back.”
“Oliver
is a Stockholm guy who has played ten seasons in North America and
who is coming back home to Stockholm to play where he belongs,”
said Djurgården sports director Niklas Wikegård. “He is a
fundamentally skilled, experienced and very talented player with
great international credentials.”
After a 31-point season in 2021-22, Kylington was rewarded with a new
contract but missed then missed the entire 2022-23 season despite no
apparent physical ailments. In August 2023, he finally spoke
out about his mental health troubles.
Oliver Kylington on mental health and signing with Colorado: “I don’t need any more distractions in my life”
After nine seasons of highs and lows in the organization of the Calgary Flames – the team that drafted him – Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington, an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. In a recent interview with Swedish media outlet HockeyNews.se, he spoke about his decision, his history of struggles with mental health and his family, and where he is now.
An unrestricted free agent in 2024, Kylington signed
a one-year contract with the Colorado
Avalanche. After being limited to just 13 games due to injuries,
he was traded in March 2025 to the Anaheim
Ducks, where he finished the season.
All told, Kylington recorded 60 points and 60 penalty
minutes in 220 NHL regular-season games. He also recorded three
points in 12 games for Calgary in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Kylington went to the Carolina Hurricanes training
camp on a PTO this year, but was cut near the end of the preseason.
He then returned to Stockholm, where he was reportedly skating with
Djurgården’s
junior team, while rumors swirled of his imminent signing with the
SHL team.
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Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell is off to an impressive start in the SHL. He has taken the league by storm with his blend of skill and imposing size. In his first 10 games, he has recorded six goals and eight points. Frondell spoke with Swedish outlet TV4 about his strong start ahead of last weekend’s matchup with Leksand.
“He
will contribute and be an important piece for us,” Wikegård
continued. “Then, just like with all other players who come from
North American hockey, it’s about patience. Even though Oliver is
Swedish, it will be an adjustment for him. But he is a very exciting
player that we welcome here to Djurgården as part of our common
journey.”
Kylington
joins a Djurgården team that has seven wins and five losses in its
first 12 SHL games of the season, good for 21 points and fifth place
in the 14-team circuit.
The team’s roster includes goaltender
Magnus Hellberg, defenseman Gustav Lindström, and
forwards Marcus Krüger, Jacob Josefson, Charles Hudon, Jesse Ylönen
and Joe Snively. It also includes top NHL prospects Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund – first-round
draft picks of the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders,
respectively – top 2025 draft prospects
Viggo Björk and Marcus Nordmark,
and former prospect Emilio Pettersen.
