Roland Eriksson

Following a stellar performance at the 1974 World Junior Championships, Eriksson was selected 131st overall by the Minnesota North Stars, the first Swede ever drafted by the franchise. In the following two seasons, he would continue to excel in Sweden with Leksands IF. In 1975–76, he was named to the Swedish All-Star Team, and turned in a standout performance at the World Championships, recording 15 points in 10 games. That summer, he was signed by the North Stars and set high expectations for himself with a strong performance against NHL players at the 1976 Canada Cup tournament.\n', ' A tall, classy, playmaking center, Eriksson broke into the NHL in 1976–77 with four assists in his first game to tie an NHL record. He continued on to finish the season with 25 goals and 44 assists to set a North Stars rookie record (since broken) with 69 points. He led all NHL rookies in assists and points, but finished only third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting for the league\'s top freshman.\n', ' In 1977–78, Eriksson continued to be one of the lone bright lights on a North Stars team which finished the season with just 18 wins. He led the team with 39 assists and 60 points, and was selected to play in the 1978 NHL All-Star Game.\n', '