From Stockholm to Langley; 2002-born goaltender Jesper Vikman has signed a standard WHL player agreement with the Vancouver Giants.
The team made the announcement Friday, Aug. 6.
Vikman, a 6’3”, 176-pound left-catching goaltender was selected by the Langley-based Giants with the eighth overall pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft. In the 2020 NHL Draft he was a fifth-round selection (125th overall) of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Giants GM Barclay Parneta said “we are excited to have Jesper continue his development with the Vancouver Giants. His international experience, and NHL draft pedigree will make him a valuable addition to our lineup this season.”
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Vikman is the third Swedish-born player ever selected by the Giants in the CHL Import Draft, joining Casper Carning (2010) and Fabian Lysell (2020).
He’s also the third goaltender ever selected by the Giants in the CHL Import Draft joining Jonathan Iilahti (Finland, 2011) and Marek Schwarz (Czech Republic, 2004).
Last season Vikman appeared in 22 combined games with AIK J20 (J20 Nationell), AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan) and Tyresö/Hanviken (HockeyEttan) in Sweden. He finished with a 10-10 record and one shutout.
Internationally. Vikman has represented Sweden three times since the start of the 2018-19 season (U18 and U17) and posted a 2-1 record.
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Is there more to the story? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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