in 1998. Playing style Standing five-foot, nine inches tall, and weighing 170 pounds, Loob arrived in Calgary facing skepticism about his ability to cope with the rougher style and smaller ice surface of the NHL compared to what he was used to in the Elitserien. Opinion around the NHL in the early 1980s was that Swedish players were "soft"; teammate Colin Patterson credited Loob with changing that perception. He was a vocal leader, unafraid to speak to his teammates when he felt it necessary. He was a strong skater with "dazzling technique", and former Calgary linemate Joe Nieuwendyk said Loob was a key reason for his own early success in the NHL: "He just had such a great amount of skill. He could do things none of the rest of us could. The luckiest thing that happened to me was getting put on Hakan Loob’s line my first full year in Calgary. He helped me so much, starting my career the right way. A big reason why I scored 50." Nieuwendyk added that Loob could "put pucks into areas, make plays, nobody else would dream of". Personal life Loob's older brother Peter was also a hockey player. The brothers played together briefly with Färjestad and Peter appeared in eight NHL games with the Quebec Nordiques. Håkan and his wife Marie have three children, Henrik, Niclas, and Isabelle. Their children are why the family chose to return to Sweden in 1989. Loob always intended to return home following his playing days, but felt that Henrik's assimilation into North American culture was problematic. He wanted his family to grow up in Sweden. Career statistics Regular season and playoffs International Awards and honours References External links 1960 births Living people Calgary Flames draft picks Calgary Flames players Calgary Flames scouts Färjestad BK players Ice hockey players at the 1992 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 1994 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players with retired numbers IIHF Hall of Fame inductees Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Sweden Olympic ice hockey players of Sweden Olympic medalists in ice hockey Sportspeople from Gotland County Stanley Cup champions Swedish ice hockey managers Swedish ice hockey right wingers Swedish people of Estonian descent Triple Gold Club Swedish expatriate ice hockey players in Canada