The final pick (No. 230) in the 2005 NHL Draft, Hornqvist has proven to be a valuable player.

Hornqvist went to the Nashville Predators that year, the same year Sidney Crosby was the No. 1 pick. Through hard work and a tenacious attitude, Hornqvist stood alongside Crosby as part of the 2016 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

When Hornqvist was drafted, the 5-foot-11 forward was playing in the third division in his native Sweden, but by the 2006-07 season he was named Swedish Elite League Rookie of the Year with Djurgardens after scoring 23 goals in 49 games. After another season in Sweden, Hornqvist made the move to Nashville and started the 2008-09 season with the Predators before being assigned to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League a month into the season and getting called back up to Nashville in February.

By his second season in Nashville, Hornqvist showed a willingness to be a strong net-front presence, creating havoc in front of the opposing goaltender. That suited Hornqvist's game perfectly as he found ways to get his stick on pucks, either on deflections or rebounds. That helped Hornqvist reach the 30-goal mark in 2009-10, becoming the fourth player in Predators history to score at least 30.

He proved a key contributor as the Predators advanced past the first round of the playoffs in 2011 and 2012, with Hornqvist finishing with 21 and 27 goals, respectively.

Nashville traded Hornqvist and Nick Spaling to Pittsburgh for James Neal on June 27, 2014. Hornqvist continued to produce for the Penguins and got his first NHL hat trick against the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 29, 2016. Less than two months later he had his first career playoff hat trick in Game 1 of the first round against the New York Rangers on April 13, 2016, finishing with four points. He had nine goals in the 2016 playoffs, including two in the Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks.

In 2016-17, Hornqvist had 44 points (21 goals, 23 assists) in 70 games. He scored five goals in 19 playoff games, including the game-winner with 1:35 remaining in the third period against the Predators in Game 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.