Erik Christensen

Erik Christensen
Christensen during his tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Born	(1983-12-17) December 17, 1983 (age 33) Edmonton, AB, CAN
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
SHL team Former teams	HV71 Pittsburgh Penguins Atlanta Thrashers Anaheim Ducks New York Rangers Minnesota Wild HC Lev Praha
NHL Draft	69th overall, 2002 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	2004–2016

Erik Christensen (born December 17, 1983) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently playing for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

Christensen was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round (69th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. In the 2002–03 season, Christensen received the Bob Clarke Trophy for being the leading scorer of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He tallied 108 points (54 goals) in 67 games with the Kamloops Blazers.

The 2004–05 NHL lockout left the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) stacked with talent, but Christensen impressed Penguins management by scoring 27 points (14 goals) in his first pro season. In the 2005–06 season, he jumped out of the gate quickly, tallying 19 points (9 goals) in only 9 games. The Pittsburgh Penguins called him up on October 31, 2005.

Christensen scored his first NHL goal on November 3, 2005, against the New York Islanders (against goaltender Rick DiPietro) at 15:43 into the 2nd period. Another promising rookie for the Penguins in 2005–06 (along with Sidney Crosby, Colby Armstrong, Ryan Whitney and others), Christensen earned 13 points (6 goals) in 33 games with the Penguins during his rookie campaign.

On February 26, 2008, the Atlanta Thrashers acquired Christensen along with Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito, and a first-round draft pick in a trade deadline deal that sent Marián Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to the Penguins.