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IK Mora star ANZE KOPITAR (11), the 25-year-old center who easily led the Los Angeles Kings in scoring with 76 points (22 goals) during the regular season and then topped the entire NHL with both eight goals as well as 20 points in the Stanley Cup playoffs, has represented Slovenia at annual IIHF World Championships on three occaions (17 ga, 7 go, 14 pts) thus far.
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Originally, the clubs comprising the Swedish Elitserien had decided to enact a league-wide ban on National Hockey League Lock-Out Refugees (with exceptions for players willing to sign a binding contract for the rest of this 2012/13 campaign, that is). But then Sweden’s governmental authority on competition, Konkurrensverket (KKV), ruled that decree to be illegal. In the end, only two NHL exiles, St. Louis Blues attacker ANDERS STEEN for Mo Do Ornskoldsvik (20 ga, 8 go, 23 pts) and Colorado Avalanche forward MATT DUCHESNE for IF Vastra Frolunda of Gothenburg (19 ga, 4 go, 14 pts), ever did end up skating in the Swedish top flight this term.

The Swedish second division, however, was an entirely different story altogether and several NHL refugees, including Slovenia international star ANZE KOPITAR of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, were taken on by Allsvenskan clubs.

PATRIK BERGLUND, the exiled St. Louis Blues center who selected to tournament all-star team after scoring eight goals in nine games for silver medalist Sweden at the 2011 IIHF World Championships hosted by Slovakia, led all NHL refugees in the Allsvenskan by notching 20 goals in 32 games for IK Vasteras this season; 23-year-old MIKAEL BACKLUND, the former 1st round NHL draft pick who has skated in 114 NHL games (14 go, 36 pts) for the Calgary Flames the previous two seasons combined and also collected a silver medal with Tre Kronor at the annual IIHF World Championships in 2011, distinguished himself with IK Vasteras, as well.

2012/13 Allsvenskan Season – NHL Refugee Scoring Chart
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34 pts … 10 go … 24 as … 34 ga …… A. KOPITAR, IK Mora
32 pts … 20 go … 12 as … 32 ga …… P. BERGLUND, IK Vasteras
30 pts … 12 go … 18 as … 23 ga …… M. BACKLUND, IK Vasteras
24 pts ….. 6 go … 18 as … 20 ga …… M. READ, SK Sodertalje
18 pts ….. 8 go … 10 as … 16 ga …… M. JOHANSSON, IK Bofors Karlskoga
14 pts ….. 6 go ….. 8 as … 17 ga …… G. LANDESKOG, Djurgarden Stockholm
13 pts … 10 go ….. 3 as … 10 ga …… B. RYAN, IK Mora
11 pts ….. 5 go ….. 6 as ….. 8 ga …… C. HAGELIN, SK Sodertalje

7 pts ……. 2 go ….. 5 as … 13 ga …… C. FOWLER, SK Sodertalje
7 pts ……. 3 go ….. 4 as … 17 ga …… B. MIKKELSON, IK Vasteras
5 pts ……. 2 go ….. 5 as … 10 ga …… P. HORNQVIST, Djurgarden Stockholm
4 pts ……. 4 go ….. 0 as ….. 7 ga …… M. LETESTU, IS Almtuna Uppsala
4 pts ……. 0 go ….. 4 as ….. 7 ga …… M. LUNDIN, IS Almtuna Uppsala
2 pts ……. 0 go ….. 2 as ….. 9 ga …… C. GUNNARSSON, IK Orebro
3 pts ……. 1 go ….. 2 as … 14 ga …… D. MURRAY, Djurgarden Stockholm
1 pts ……. 0 go ….. 1 as ….. 4 ga …… J. ERICSSON, SK Sodertalje
1 pts ……. 0 go ….. 1 as ….. 4 ga …… N. GROSSMANN, SK Sodertalje
1 pts ……. 0 go ….. 1 as ….. 4 ga …… M. SANTORELLI, AIF Tingsryd
0 pts ……. 0 go ….. 0 as ….. 5 ga …… C. BUTLER, HK Karlskrona
0 pts ……. 0 go ….. 0 as ….. 1 ga …… M. RAYMOND, IK Orebro

1.68 avg … 94.2% svpct …. 12 ga …… V. FASTH, AIF Tingsryd
2.31 avg … 91.7% svpct …. 14 ga …… J. ENROTH, IS Almtuna Uppsala

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SK Sodertalje’s imported American MATT READ, the former Bemidji (Minn.) State University right wing who registered 24 goals and 47 points in 79 NHL games over the course of a standout rookie professional campaign on behalf of the Philadelphia Flyers last term, finished as the highest-scoring North American NHL refugee to have skated in the Allsvenskan this season.

KYLE KLUBERTANZ, a University of Wisconsin product now in his second season of professional hockey, dances on defense these days for IF Djurgarden Stockholm in Sweden's Elitserien. (difhockey.se photo)

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“Tanzen” is the German verb meaning “to dance”.

KYLE KLUBERTANZ is an American defenseman enjoying his first season in Sweden playing for the traditional elite league power, IF Djurgarden Stockholm.

IF Djurgarden Stockholm, who finished tied for second place with HC Linkoping in the Elitserien standings, have, like regular season leaders HV 71 Jonkoping, qualified for the semifinals of Sweden’s playoffs. IF Djurgarden Stockholm advanced by disposing of IF Brynas Galve four games to one.

Klubertanz, who arrived in the off-season from Finnish club TPS Turku, finished the regular league schedule tied for third in scoring on IF Djurgarden with 31 points. The 24-year-old, who played all 55 Elitserien contests this year, also led the defensemen for the Stockholm club in both goals (12) and points. The defenseman added one goal and two points for IF Djurgarden in the opening round playoff victory over IF Brynas, as well. 

Klubertanz totaled five goals and 12 points from 51 games his rookie pro season in Finland’s elite league with TPS Turku.

Klubertanz, a four-year player at the University of Wisconsin, pocketed an NCAA championship as a sophomore in 2006. The defenseman was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round (# 74 overall) of the 2004 National Hockey League draft.

Klubertanz played six games (including one playoff appearance) for the Portland Pirates in the American Hockey League at the end of the 2007-08 campaign after completing his college career.

Reportedly, Klubertanz has signed a contract extension and will again skate with IF Djuragarden Stockholm next season in Sweden’s Elitserien.