NHL’s Oilers add Bulldogs coach to hockey staff

After six seasons behind the bench with the Brantford/Hamilton Bulldogs and the Kitchener Rangers, Andreas Karlsson is joining the Edmonton Oilers.

The NHL club announced Wednesday (Sept. 11) three changes to its hockey operations staff, including the addition of the Bulldogs assistant coach as a Player Development Coach.

As well, Tobias Salmelainen, who will head up Player Acquisition and Development in Europe, and Vincent Malts, who was named Mental Performance and Player Development Coach.

“I’m excited about the additions of Tobias, Andreas and Vincent,” said Oilers Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Stan Bowman. “Player development is critical to our long-term success and this kind of investment is an important step.”

Karlsson, 49, helped Hamilton win an OHL championship in 2022. The Ludvika, Sweden native played 19 seasons of professional hockey, including 264 games in the NHL with the Atlanta Thrashers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

He also helped guide Sweden to a gold medal at the 2006 IIHF World Championship.

Karlsson began his coaching career as an assistant coach in 2011-12 with the U18 Frolunda Hockey Club and as a Development Coach with the SHL’s Frolunda Hockey Club.

He was the head coach of Frolunda’s U20 Hockey Club from 2012 until 2015 before moving over to North America to take an assistant coaching position with York University’s men’s hockey program. He stayed there two seasons before heading to the OHL.