Rolf Pettersson (ice hockey)

Rolf "Mackan" Pettersson (27 September 1926 – 9 November 2010) was a Swedish ice hockey and bandy player, who represented Hammarby IF in both sports. He competed in six Ice Hockey World Championships, winning Sweden's first gold medal in 1953.

Rolf Pettersson
Pettersson with Hammarby IF in 1960.
Born
Rolf Harry Pettersson

(1926-09-27)27 September 1926
Stockholm, Sweden
Died9 November 2010(2010-11-09) (aged 84)
Stockholm, Sweden
Ice hockey career
Position Forward
Played for Hammarby IF
National team  Sweden
Playing career 1946–1961
Medal record
Representing  Sweden
World Championships
Silver medal – second place Prague 1947 Team
Gold medal – first place Zürich/Basel 1953 Team
Bronze medal – third place Stockholm 1954 Team

Bandy career
Playing position Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1962 Hammarby IF
National team
1958–1959 Sweden 2 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).
Association football career
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949–1950 Hammarby IF 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Athletic career

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Ice hockey

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Born and raised in Stockholm, Pettersson started to play ice hockey with local club Karlbergs BK where he made his debut in Division 1, the domestic top league. In 1946, he moved to Hammarby IF. Playing as a forward, he got known as a good skater and sniper, initially forming a line with Holger Nurmela and Östen Johansson.[1][2][3][4]

He won the Swedish championship with Hammarby IF in 1951.[5][1] In total, he played 207 games for the club and scored 115 goals, before leaving in 1961 after 15 seasons.[6][2] After leaving Hammarby IF, he finished his ice hockey career with Tranebergs SK, playing one season in the lower divisions.[3]

Pettersson made 95 international appearances for the Swedish national team, scoring 22 goals, being part of their roster in six different World Championship tournaments.[6] Most notably, he won Sweden's first gold medal in 1953, as well as winning the silver medal in 1947 and bronze medal in 1954.[7][2][6][4] He also competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where his country finished in 4th place.[8][9]

He is a recipient of the honorary award Stora Grabbars Märke, awarded by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.[10]

Bandy

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Starting his bandy career with local clubs IF Ulvarna, Stockholms IF and Minnebergs IK, Pettersson moved to Hammarby IF in 1950. The club reached its first Swedish Championship final in 1957, but lost 1–2 to Örebro SK at Stockholms stadion, in which Pettersson assisted Leif Fredblad who scored the consolation goal for his side. He played ten seasons with Hammarby IF in Allsvenskan, the domestic top tier, and won two caps for the Swedish national team.[4][2][1]

Football

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In 1949–50, Pettersson also briefly played football with Hammarby IF, making three appearances in Division 3, Sweden's third tier.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "En legend från Bajen – Old School Hockey Rolf "Mackan" Pettersson" (in Swedish). Hockeysverige. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Rolf Pettersson" (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. 6 December 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Rolf Pettersson" (in Swedish). Eliteprospects. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Rolf "Mackan" Pettersson ihågkommen på den Svenska idrottsgalan" (in Swedish). Svenskafans. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Svenska mästare i ishockey" (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Rolf Mackan Pettersson" (in Swedish). Hammarby Hockey. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  7. ^ "The Sweden team rosters in World Championship, Olympic Games, World Cup of Hockey and Canada Cup year by year since 1920" (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Rolf Pettersson" (in Swedish). Swedish Olympic Committee. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  9. ^ "The Sweden team rosters in Olympic Games year by year since 1920" (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Stora Grabbar" (PDF) (in Swedish). Svenska Ishockeyförbundet. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  11. ^ "1950" (in Swedish). HIF Historia. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
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