Before making his NHL debut on Sunday afternoon, Kasper Bjorkqvist stopped to talk with Penguins head team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas, who had helped the young forward recover from the season-ending ACL injury he suffered early in the 20-21 campaign.
“Very appreciative of what he did to me to help me get my knee back and stuff like that, and just very appreciative of everyone who’s helped me so far,” Bjorkqvist, 24, said. “It’s a dream as a kid to play in the NHL, and now I had the opportunity.”
Pittsburgh’s 2016 second-round draft pick certainly made the most of it, as Bjorkqvist scored his first career goal in the Penguins’ 8-5 win over San Jose. His teammates and coaches couldn’t be more thrilled for him, especially considering that Bjorkqvist had just recovered from shoulder surgery the summer before injuring his knee.
“I really admire just his stick-to-it-iveness, his perseverance through some tough challenges in this early part of his career,” Mike Sullivan said. “He’s been having to fight through some injuries to get to where he’s at. I was so happy for him that he scored his first NHL goal tonight in his first NHL game.”
Bjorkqvist came to North America after getting drafted played three seasons of NCAA hockey with Providence College before turning professional in the spring of 2019, playing a handful of games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
After recovering from his shoulder and knee surgeries, Bjorkqvist spent the majority of last year with KooKoo of Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, while also seeing some time in the AHL – where he started this season before getting called up to the temporary taxi squad and getting the call today.
Bjorkqvist’s special day included the famous solo rookie lap to begin warmups before starting the game as left wing on the fourth line alongside Radim Zohorna and Sam Lafferty. Those players would earn the assists on Bjorkqvist’s tally, with some help from the blue line.
Bjorkqvist credited defenseman Chad Ruhwedel for his decision to pinch along the boards and work the puck to Lafferty behind the net. When that happened, Bjorkqvist went straight to the top of the crease. Zohorna found him there, and Bjorkqvist quickly shoveled it between the pads of Sharks goalie James Reimer.
“He plays a heavy game, he’s responsible defensively and I think like you saw today, he goes to the hard areas, and he got rewarded for it,” forward Evan Rodrigues said. “I thought that line as a whole played really well for us. I think that the whole team was really happy for him.”
The goal came at the 16:29 mark of the first period to put Pittsburgh up 4-0 in what turned out to be an emotional roller coaster of a game, especially for Bjorkqvist playing in his first one. The Penguins watched the 6-1 lead they had built up after the first 20 minutes evaporate as the Sharks battled back to make it 6-5, before Rodrigues and Bryan Rust completed hat tricks to ensure an 8-5 victory.
“To get four goals right away, it’s kind of like okay, is this how it’s gonna go?” Bjorkqvist said with a laugh. “Then you see how this league is, everyone is so good that even if you give them a little bit of a chance for the other team, they’re gonna come back… But honestly, I was just trying to focus on my own game and think about the next shift and not think about too much other than that.”
One of the things the Penguins have always liked about Bjorkqvist, and a big reason why they drafted him, is his strength. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound forward has become known for his exercise videos on social media, which show him moving some serious weight in the gym. That physicality makes him a guy who helps the Penguins be hard to play against.
“I really liked Kasper’s game,” Sullivan said. “He’s good on the wall, he has good size, he has good strength, he’s strong on the puck, he’s willing to block shots. He’s a good penalty killer. And I think his pace is improving. Kasper this year, for me, has a noticeable difference in his pace. Not only his foot speed, but his ability to think the game and see the game.”
Afterwards, Mike Matheson awarded Bjorkqvist the player of the game helmet, and the equipment staff made sure to give him the keepsake puck.
“Probably going to take it home,” Bjorkqvist said. “I have all my pucks from big games or big goals at my parents’, so probably bring it home there.”
His native Finland is seven hours ahead, which meant Bjorkqvist’s family and friends all got to witness his big debut at a reasonable hour.
“I imagine obviously my family watching, a lot of friends were able to watch,” Bjorkqvist said. “I actually didn’t even open my phone yet. We’ll see. I got to get a little workout in and recover before I open the phone and start texting back, because there’s probably going to be a lot of text messages.”
That’s the type of mindset that will take him far, as will his attitude. Bjorkqvist said he’s always trying to bring positivity wherever he goes, and that’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.
“He always has a smile on his face, so it’s fun having him around,” Rust said. “He’s a great guy, and I hope he continues to play well.”