JEE1

ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek will represent his native Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Championship beginning May 5 in Cologne, Germany.

Eriksson Ek recorded three goals and four assists for seven points (3-4=7) in 15 games with the Minnesota Wild this season. He made his postseason debut in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, registering 11:04 of ice time and three shots on goal.

The Wild assigned him to his Swedish club, Farjestad BK, from Nov. 17, 2016 to March 28, 2017, when he was recalled. Eriksson Ek tallied 16 points (8-8=16) in 26 regular-season games with Farjestad and netted six points (3-3=6) in seven playoff games with the club.
Eriksson Ek captained Sweden in the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship and had nine points in seven tournament contests. He helped Sweden to the bronze medal game, where the club fell to Russia by a score of 2-1.
In addition to captaining Sweden's IIHF World Junior Championship team, he has competed for Sweden at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, the U-18 Junior World Cup and the IIHF World U18 Championship. He has 15 goals and five assists in 22 international games played.
The 6-foot-2, 197-pound native of Karlstad, Sweden was selected by Minnesota in the first round (20th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. On Nov. 22, 2016, he became the seventh Wild player in history to score a goal in his NHL debut.
The IIHF World Championship will be held in Cologne, Germany and Paris France from May 5 to May 21. Sweden is one of 16 teams competing.