Andre Petersson

History

Andre Petersson has been a member of HV71’s junior organization the last two seasons. Last year he put up big numbers in the U18 league, and during the 2007-08 season he moved up to U20 level where he managed to score 38 points in 36 games. Respectable numbers for a junior b player. He has played two straight U18 WJC tournaments and been productive. As Sweden fell in the bronze medal game in the most recent tournament, Petersson was one of the offensive leaders on the team scoring 4 goals and 4 assists in 6 games.

2006-07: The winger had quite the season in the Swedish hockey system. He joined up with Smaland for the TV-Pucken tournament, where he scored eight goals and 17 points in eight games; Petersson won the Most Points and Best Forward awards at the tournament, while his team placed third. He also appeared in 10 games with HV71 U18, where he tallied 14 goals and 24 points (led the league). He also competed with Team Sweden at the WJC-18, where he registered a pair of assists (Sweden took Bronze).

2007-08: Petersson played with a few clubs within HV71’s system this season, but most of his hockey was played with the U20 squad in the SuperElit league. In 36 games he scored a career-high 16 goals and 38 points, racking up 34 penalty minutes along the way. He again skated with the Swedish National U18 team, netting four goals and as many assists in eight games. He was also a member of the winning U18 World Cup (Ivan Hlinka Memorial) Swedish club.

2008-09: The Swedish forward spent another season in HV71’s system, this time competing with the U20 and top squads. In 36 games in the SuperElit league, he tallied a career-high 24 goals and 55 points (his squad finished second). His luck was not as good in the Elitserien: one assist through 10 games. He again competed with the Swedish National U20 squad, netting three goals and as many assists in six games at the WJC; Sweden won Silver at the tournament.

2009-10: Petersson skated in 37 games for HV71 in his first full SEL season and posted 10 goals and 5 assists in 37 games. he also played one game with Boras in Allsvenskan (second league) and scored one goal. Petersson played for Sweden at the 2010 World Junior U-20 Championship and scored 8 goals with 3 assists and was +8 with 4 PMs.

2010-11: Petersson was having a solid season as a 20-year-old for HV71 in the Elitserien before suffering a season-ending injury in January. Averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time in 31 games for the first-place club, he scored 8 goals with 4 assists and was +5 with 18 PMs. Petersson signed an entry-level, three-year contract with the Senators in April 2011.

2011-12: Petersson made his NHL debut with the Senators as a 21-year-old, seeing five minutes of ice time with no points nor penalty minutes  in a January game at Anaheim,  before being returned to Binghamton for the remainder of the season.  Petersson had a successful first season in North America, scoring 23 goals with 21 assists in 60 AHL games – missing time in December due to an injury – and finished minus-seven with 20 penalty minutes. Binghamton missed the AHL playoffs; finishing fifth in the East Division.

 

Talent Analysis

Petersson is a one-dimensional offensive player. A magician with the puck with plenty of slick moves in his repertoire.  He loves to challenge the opposing defenseman and is good one-one-one.  Petersson is a natural scorer, but at the same time delivers crisp passes. The only knock here, is that he sometimes is a bit too puck happy, and should pass more. What makes him even tougher to stop, is the fact that he is an above average skater with good acceleration and agility.

The major knock on Petersson is his defensive game, work ethic and consistency. He does not really care to back-check and is always focused on contributing offensively instead.  Also, if he could bring his A game each night, he would be able to be an even more productive player. Enormous potential.

 

Future

Petersson will play for Binghamton in the 2012-13 season after a solid showing in his rookie season in 2011-12.