Daniel Tjärnqvist

Daniel Tjärnqvist (born 14 October 1976 in Umeå, Sweden) is a Swedish ice hockey defenceman for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL. Daniel's younger brother, Mathias, is a forward for Swedish SEL club Djurgårdens IF.

Playing career
Tjärnqvist is considered a smart player who plays safe and is a good two-way defenceman. He was drafted by the Florida Panthers as their fourth-round pick, 88th overall, in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. However, he never played a game for the team.

After four years with Djurgården in the Swedish Elitserien, Tjärnqvist spent three seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers in the National Hockey League. After the lockout he played for the Minnesota Wild.

On July 6, 2006, Tjärnqvist signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Daniel established himself in the Oilers defense until he was beset by a pubic bone injury, missing the majority of the 2006–07 NHL season. Tjärnqvist, a free agent, then spent the 2007–08 season in the Russian Super League reportedly signing with Ak Bars Kazan, before formally signing a contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

On July 3, 2008, Tjärnqvist returned to the NHL, signing a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Tjärnqvist was used primarily as a reserve defenseman before succumbing to a concussion to end his 2008-09 campaign.

On May 24, 2009, Tjärnqvist signed with his previous team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL for the 2009-10 season.

Awards

 * SM-liiga champion with Jokerit in 1997.
 * Elitserien playoff winner with Djurgården in 2000 and 2001.
 * World Championship's Best Defenceman in 2002.
 * Olympic gold medal at the 2006 Olympics.

International play
Played for Sweden in:


 * 1995- World Junior Championships (Bronze medal)
 * 1996- World Championships (Silver medal)
 * 2000- World Championships
 * 2001- World Championships (Bronze medal)
 * 2002- World Championships (Bronze medal)
 * 2003- World Championships (Silver medal)
 * 2004- World Championships (Silver medal)
 * 2004- World Cup of Hockey
 * 2006- Winter Olympics (Gold medal)