Career
Hjalmarsson was drafted 108th overall in the 2005 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He played professionally for three years in the Elitserien with HV71. In the 2007-2008 season, his first in North America, Hjalmarsson made his National Hockey League debut with the Blackhawks.
After spending the majority of the season with the Rockford IceHogs, Chicago"s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, he procured a regular spot on the roster after defenceman James Wisniewski"s trade to the Anaheim Ducks.
Hjalmarsson scored his first career National Hockey League goal against Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings. Hjalmarsson became a key part of the Blackhawks" lineup late into the 2008-2009 season and to begin the 2009-2010 season.
In 2009-2010, he played 77 games in the regular season and all 22 in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the team, averaging over 19 minutes played per game, switching between the second and third defensive pairings. Over that time, he recorded a production value (PROD) of a point roughly every 45 minutes of it, while his season PROD was 89 minutes.
On 9 July 2010, shortly after the end of the season, Hjalmarsson signed a four-year, $14 million offer sheet with the San Jose Sharks.
Three days later, however, on 12 July, the Blackhawks announced that they would match the offer sheet. Hjalmarsson became the first National Hockey League defenceman in 13 years to receive an offer sheet as a restricted free agent, and, critically, Chicago"s matching of the offer meant that they no longer had enough cap space to re-sign goaltender Antti Niemi, who coincidentally ended up joining the Sharks later that off-season. During 2012-2013 National Hockey League lockout, Hjalmarsson played in the Italian Serie A and in the IIHF Continental Cup with The Human Context Bolzano.
During the 2013 off-season, Hjalmarsson signed a five-year extension with the Blackhawks, at an annual average salary of $4.1 million.
