Background
Gustaf Forslund was born in Holmsund in Västerbotten, Sweden to Lars Anton Forslund and his wife Ida Maria Fällman.
Gustaf Forslund was born in Holmsund in Västerbotten, Sweden to Lars Anton Forslund and his wife Ida Maria Fällman.
In the 1932-1933 season, he became the first Swedish-born player in the National Hockey League. When he was still a child, his family moved to Fort William and later Portuguese Arthur, Ontario. First playing professional hockey for the Portuguese Arthur Ports at age 20, he transferred to the Fort William Forts one year later.
In 1929 he moved to Minnesota to play for the Duluth Hornets of the American Hockey Association (1926–1942).
Playing 48 games for the Ottawa Senators in 1932-1933, Forslund became the first Swede to play in the National Hockey League. He scored a total of 13 points, 4 goals and 9 assists. He went on to play for the Windsor Bulldogs of the International Hockey League (1929–1936) and the Philadelphia Arrows and New Haven Eagles in the Can-Am Hockey League.
He ended his career playing in the Thunder Bay Senior League until 1941. In 1939-1940, Forslund led the Thunder Bay Senior League with 39 points in 24 games.
After retiring, Forslund helped organise youth hockey.
He died from a stroke in 1962 when he was 56.