Maja Nylén Persson signs with Brynäs IF

The Brynäs offseason continues to impress, as up-and-coming defender Maja Nylén Persson joins the team on a three-year contract. The club announced the acquisition on May 29.

’Up-and-coming’ may be a slight misnomer: despite being just 18 years old, Nylén Persson is a five-year SDHL veteran with Leksand. In 151 regular-season games she has 67 points. She matched her single-season career best last season with eight goals and 11 assists. On the international stage she represented the Damkronorna as a 2018 Olympian and played on Sweden’s top defense pairing at the 2019 Women’s World Championships. Everything about her play, poise, and ability says she’s a player to watch for years to come.

Brynäs general manager Erika Grahm agrees: “I have played with Maja in the national team for three seasons and despite her young age she feels like one of the most experienced players there,” she told the club’s website. “I look forward to working with her close up and I believe both our young and older players will be able to learn a lot from her.”

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Leksands IF, det har varit en ära att få representera klubben i mitt hjärta i fem år.💙 Oerhört tacksam för alla lagkamrater och ledare som har hjälpt mig att bli den hockeyspelare och person jag är idag. Nu, mot nya mål i Gävle och Brynäs IF!!

A post shared by Maja Nylén Persson (@majanylenpersson) on May 29, 2019 at 9:35am PDT

For her part, Nylén Persson said she chose Brynäs because “Brynäs wants to help Swedish women’s hockey and I see that as very positive.”

She reiterated her gratitude for the five years she spent in Leksand, while also looking ahead and acknowledging her readiness for change: “I feel that I want to take a new step both as a player and a person.”

Nylen Pérsson joins other high-profile signings like Lara Stalder, Michela Cava, Denisa Křížová, and Kateřina Mrázová.