The Fife Flyers have added another string to their bow, signing former NHL Draft prospect Anton Karlsson to a one-year contact.
Arriving in the Elite League following a 13-game stint with Falu IF in Sweden’s third tier, the 29-year-old has played nine professional seasons across Europe and projects as a top-six forward for the Flyers.
“Clearly, we are in a difficult situation as a team and it’s important for us to add Anton’s experience,” said Fife president and general manager Max Birbraer.
“Anton has been in similar situations before and has played a big part in improving performance, which earned valuable points in the overall league table.”
Who is Fife Flyers forward Anton Karlsson?
Karlsson is a product of Frölunda HC’s famous academy system, from which he was selected by the Coyotes in the third round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
The Lerum-born forward made the jump into the professional ranks the following season, recording two assists in 15 games as Swedish Hockey League rookie.
Karlsson spent the following six seasons in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second tier, scoring 84 points (42 goals, 42 assists) in 223 regular-season appearances.
He played overseas for the first time in 2019-20, recording 34 points (19 goals, 15 assists) in 48 Austrian EBEL appearances for Villacher SV.
Stops in Czechia, Denmark, and Norway followed, before Karlsson returned to his native Sweden to start this season, scoring 16 points (six goals, ten assists) in 13 HockeyEttan appearances for Falu IF.
Why have the Fife Flyers signed Anton Karlsson?
In the midst of a 16-game winless run, the Flyers desperately need offensive reinforcements.
Birbraer started solidly by signing former NHL’er David Booth — and has wisely doubled down with the addition of Karlsson.
Last term, the Swede scored 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 17 Norwegian EliteSerien appearances for Stjernen.
He split 2023-24 between Denmark’s Metal Ligaen and Czechia2, notching 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 24 games for Oril Znojmo, before scoring 12 points (five goals, seven games) in 17 games to help Sonderjyske win the title.
Capable of playing on the wing or at centre, Karlsson is a 6-foot-2 jack of all trades, who will boost Fife’s top-six.
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