Career
Karlsson is a good skater and playmaker with good technical skills. During the season 2005-2006 he has also shown that he is an efficient goal scorer. He is sometimes called "Pastorn", which is Swedish for "The Pastor".
He played his first international game with Team Sweden on December 16, 1995, against Czechoslovakian Republic in Helsinki, Finland.
Karlsson was drafted by Calgary Flames with their 6th pick, 148th overall, in the 1993 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Since then he has played for Atlanta Thrashers, Orlando Solar Bears, and Chicago Wolves in the United States.
In 2006, Karlsson signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League, as their third line center with both scoring and defensive capabilities. After two seasons, totalling 13 points in 111 regular season games, he returned to his native Sweden and signed a three-year deal with Frölunda The Human Context in Elitserien.
Frölunda Indians Under 20 juniors
Assistant Coach 2011-2012
Head Coach 2012–present
Frolunda Indians
Elitserien regular season 2005-2006 record for points (55)
Elitserien regular season 2005-2006 record for goals (26) -- (Shared with Tomi Kallio).