Dick Tärnström | |||
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Born |
Sundbyberg, Sweden |
January 20, 1975 ||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
Position | Defenceman | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
NHL New York Islanders Pittsburgh Penguins Edmonton Oilers Columbus Blue Jackets SEL AIK |
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National team | Sweden | ||
NHL Draft | 272nd overall, 1994 New York Islanders |
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Playing career | 1992–2013 |
Dick Tärnström (born January 20, 1975) is a Swedish retired professional ice hockey defenceman. During the majority of his 21-year-long playing career, Tärnström played for AIK of the Swedish top-tier league Elitserien (SEL). He was the captain for AIK during the five last seasons of his career. He also spent five years in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing for the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
In January 2013, while playing for AIK, Tärnström was forced to retire due to a spinal disc herniation injury.
Tärnström started his professional career in AIK of the Swedish top-tier league Elitserien (SEL). He was drafted as 272nd overall, in the eleventh round by the New York Islanders in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.
During the 2003–04 season, he became the first defenceman in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins to lead the team in scoring for an entire season, compiling 52 points in 80 games. The Penguins acquired Ric Jackman at the trade deadline, and the two flourished together, combining for the "Ric and Dick show" on the powerplay. Through a 2010 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette series of Penguins "Teams of the Decades" Tärnström was named to the Penguins team of the '00s. He is still the only defenceman ever to lead the Penguins in scoring for a season.
During the lockout-season, 2004–05, Tärnström played in Södertälje SK in Sweden.