Erik Ersberg

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: Sala, Sweden, August 3, 1982.

HOME:

HEIGHT: 5'11"-6'0".

WEIGHT: 161-182 lbs.

UNIFORM #: 30 (Sweden, Manchester), 31 (Los Angeles).

CATCHES: Left

COLLEGE:

STYLE:

STRENGTHS:

WEAKNESSES:

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

TRANSACTIONS:

• Signed as free agent by Los Angeles Kings, June 1, 2007.

ACCOLADES:

INJURIES:

• Left game due to unspecified injury, November 17, 2007.

FIRSTS:

• Erik made his National Hockey League debut on February 23, 2008 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and was very nearly part of a huge comeback victory. With the Los Angeles Kings down by a 5-1 margin to Chicago, the Kings replaced Dan Cloutier with Ersberg, who stopped all seventeen remaining Chicago shots on goal in regulation. "When you come in from the bench, you don't have time to think very much. You just go in and play," Ersberg said. "I got off to a good start with a couple of easy shots, and then I just kept on going." Ersberg finally allowed a goal in overtime to Patrick Sharp on a rebound after making an arm save on Brent Seabrook's wrist shot.
• Erik's first National Hockey League shutout came on March 6, 2008 with a forty save, 2-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Starting in place of Jason LaBarbera, who underwent season-ending sports hernia surgery one day earlier, had his helmet knocked off by a Jason Spezza slap shot midway through the first period, but persevered. "It's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid," Ersberg said. "It's a great opportunity to play in this league and show what you can do. It feels good to get some games up here. I'm happy for every game I get. That's why I came over here - to play in this league. When you play a couple of games, you want to get more." According to assistant general manager Ron Hextall, the Kings had been watching Ersberg since last year's World Championships. "His athleticism and quickness are the best aspects of his game, as well as his lateral movement. He's not the biggest guy, so he's got to use his athletic ability. Obviously, this gives us a chance to look at him and gives him a chance to prove something. But I can't imagine him locking up a spot for next season in these last 14 games." Ersberg had a few close calls late in the game, including a near goal - with about two minutes to play, Christoph Schubert took a short wrist shot that glanced off Ersberg's glove and fell behind him. He clamped his glove on the puck just as it reached the goal line, and referee Mike Leggo blew his whistle while motioning "no goal." Replays confirmed that Nick Foligno poked the puck across the line a split-second after Leggo blew his whistle. "I had no idea if it was in or not," Ersberg said. "It was under my glove, so I guess it was hard for him to see if it was over the goal line or not."

RECORDS:

PENALTY SHOTS:

NHL SHOOTOUTS:

• March 20, 2008 - defeated Phoenix, 1-0 (Keith Ballard save, Peter Mueller miss, Daniel Carcillo save, Shane Doan save).
• March 26, 2008 - lost to Anaheim, 1-2 (Todd Bertuzzi miss, Bobby Ryan save, Teemu Selanne goal, Chris Kunitz miss, Doug Weight save, Mathieu Schneider goal).
• 2007-08 season to date: 1 win, 1 loss, 8 saves on 10 chances.

DID YOU KNOW?

SEASON RECORDS:

REGULAR SEASON
Year  Team                            GP    Min   W   L   T    GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS

POST-SEASON
Year  Team                            GP    Min   W   L    GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS

NHL GAME DIRECTORY:

• Signed as free agent by Los Angeles Kings, June 2007.
• 02/23/08: OTL (31m14s, 18/19) 5-6 OT defeat vs. Chicago (Lalime) [Replaced Cloutier].
• 03/02/08: OTL (63m38s, 33/35) 1-2 OT defeat at Minnesota (Backstrom).
• 03/04/08: L (58m48s, 28/31) 2-3 defeat at St. Louis (Legace).
• 03/06/08: W (60m, 40/40) 2-0 victory vs. Ottawa (Gerber).
• 03/08/08: L (59m23s, 18/22) 2-5 defeat vs. Montreal (Halak).
• 03/13/08: W (59m41s, 37/38) 4-1 victory at Nashville (Ellis).
• 03/15/08: L (57m53s, 27/29) 0-2 defeat at Minnesota (Backstrom).
• 03/20/08: SOW (64m46s, 35/40) 6-5 SO victory (4/4) at Phoenix (Tellqvist).
• 03/22/08: W (59m26s, 25/27) 4-2 victory at Dallas (Turco).
• 03/26/08: SOL (64m22s, 39/40) 1-2 SO defeat (4/6) at Anaheim (Hiller).
• 03/27/08: W (59m48s, 38/38) 4-0 victory vs. Phoenix (Tellqvist).
• 03/29/08: L (40m, 20/25) 2-7 defeat vs. Dallas (Turco) [Replaced by Taylor].
• 04/01/08: L (60m, 29/34) 2-5 defeat at San Jose (Nabokov).
• 04/03/08: W (60m, 32/34) 4-2 victory vs. San Jose (Nabokov).

AHL GAME DIRECTORY:

• Assigned to Manchester Monarchs, September 16, 2007.
• 10/07/07: OTL (62m12s, 13/16) 2-3 OT defeat at Springfield (Dubnyk).
• 10/13/07: W (60m, 23/26) 4-3 victory vs. Springfield (Dubnyk, Deslauriers).
• 10/19/07: - (39m55s, 15/17) 2-5 defeat at Albany (Nastiuk) [Replaced Cloutier].
• 10/20/07: SOL (65m, 22/25) 3-4 SO defeat (3/4) at Portland (McKenna).
• 10/27/07: OTW (62m03s, 24/26) 3-2 OT victory vs. Portland (Hiller).
• 11/03/07: W (59m16s, 24/27) 5-3 victory at Springfield (Dubnyk).
• 11/04/07: W (60m, 34/35) 2-1 victory vs. Hartford (Holt).
• 11/09/07: L (59m05s, 25/30) 4-5 defeat vs. Hartford (Montoya).
• 11/10/07: L (34m06s, 12/15) 3-5 defaet vs. Lowell (Parise) [Replaced Cloutier].
• 11/16/07: - (4m42s, 3/4) 3-5 defeat vs. Portland (McKenna) [Replaced Cloutier].
• 11/17/07: - (45m18s, 27/29) 4-3 OT victory vs. Springfield (Dubnyk) [Replaced by Cloutier].
• 12/14/07: W (59m53s, 21/21) 4-0 victory vs. Portland (Coleman, McKenna).
• 12/16/07: L (22m03s, 8/11) 1-5 defeat vs. Worcester (Dakers) [Replaced by Taylor].
• 12/18/07: W (60m, 29/31) 6-2 victory at Portland (Coleman).
• 12/21/07: L (59m13s, 32/34) 1-2 defeat at Wilkes-Barre (Curry).
• 12/22/07: W (60m, 35/36) 2-1 victory at Bridgeport (Morrison, MacDonald).
• 12/27/07: OTL (63m51s, 32/35) 2-3 OT defeat vs. Portland (Coleman).
• 12/29/07: OTW (63m40s, 21/23) 3-2 OT victory at Worcester (Greiss).
• 12/30/07: - (28m57s, 9/11) 2-5 defeat vs. Hartford (Wiikman) [Replaced Taylor].
• 12/31/07: L (59m45s, 30/33) 2-3 defeat vs. Worcester (Greiss).
• 01/04/08: W (60m, 23/26) 5-3 victory at Worcester (Greiss).
• 01/05/08: SOL (65m, 31/35) 4-5 SO defeat (2/6) vs. Binghamton (Glass).
• 01/09/08: L (59m11s, 25/28) 1-3 defeat vs. Albany (Grahame).
• 01/11/08: W (59m49s, 21/23) 3-2 victory at Rochester (Dennis).
• 01/16/08: L (20m, 10/13) 1-4 defeat at Rockford (Crawford) [Replaced by Taylor].
• 01/19/08: L (59m45s, 28/33) 2-5 defeat at Chicago (Gherson).
• 02/06/08: L (58m49s, 22/24) 1-3 defeat at Hartford (Montoya).
• 02/09/08: - (18m49s, 6/6) 2-3 defeat vs. Philadelphia (Munroe) [Replaced Taylor].
• 02/13/08: L (49m25s, 21/23) 4-6 defeat at Providence (Sigalet) [Replaced Aubin].
• 02/16/08: L (59m55s, 27/32) 1-5 defeat at Lowell (Caruso).

INTERNATIONAL GAME DIRECTORY:

• Played for Sweden in 2007 World Championships (Moscow, Russia).
• 05/07/07: L (59m08s, 27/31) 2-4 defeat at Russia (Eremenko).