• Samuelsson played for Team USA at the 2009 Under-18 World Championships, helping them win a gold medal in front of a home crowd in Fargo, North Dakota. He recorded three points (0-3-3) and co-led the team with a plus-nine rating. He played for Team Sweden at the 2008 Four Nations tournament in Lake Placid, New York, but will now play for the U.S. in further international tournaments.

• His father, Ulf Samuelsson, played 1080 NHL games, totaling 333 points (57-276-333) with five different teams (Hartford, Pittsburgh, NY Rangers, Detroit and Philadelphia) between 1984 and 2000. He played seven seasons for the Hartford Whalers, the team that drafted him 67th overall in the fourth round of the 1982 Entry Draft.

• He played his minor hockey for PF Changs in Phoenix, the Connecticut Lazers and the Philadelphia Phantoms before joining the USHL and has committed to Boston College.

• His childhood idol was his dad and credits him for having the most influence on his career – he wears number five the same number his father wore.

• Samuelsson got started in hockey at the age of five, playing on the Rye Rangers while his dad was playing for the New York Rangers.

• If he could have dinner with any three people he would choose: comedians Dane Cook, Chris Tucker, and Seth Rogen – “it would be a very entertaining dinner”.

• His favorite piece of sports memorabilia is a hockey stick signed by Wayne Gretzky and his most embarrassing hockey moment was walking out on the ice for the State finals with his skate guards on.

FAVORITES

NHL Team: New York Rangers
NHL Player: Ed Jovanovski
Shootout move: “Forsberg”
Goal celebration: “Bow and Arrow”
Video game: NHL ‘09
Movie: Dumb and Dumber
Reality Show: Flavor of Love
Actor/Actress: Seth Rogen and Jessica Alba
Cartoon: Family Guy
Website: Facebook.com
Pump-up song: “Welcome to Rainbow” by Bass Hunter
Restaurant: Mastro’s Steakhouse
Sport (other than hockey): Soccer
Place to visit: Italy
Snack: Cottage Cheese
Superhero: The Hulk