Jesper Fast

Jesper Fast (born 2 December 1991) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Fast was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round (157th overall) of the 2010 NHL entry draft and joined the Rangers organization in 2013.

A Nässjö native, Fast started his career with two seasons in the J20 SuperElit junior hockey league, leading his team in goals in his final season. He started his first extended season with the Swedish Hockey League in 2010 and spent three full seasons with the HV71, tying for the team lead in goals in 2012–13 and earning the Rinkens riddare for most sportsmanlike player.

Internationally, Fast played for Sweden at the 2011 World Junior Championships.

Playing career

Junior career A native of Nässjö, Sweden, Jesper Fast was born on 2 December 1991. He changed his last name to "Fast" in 2012. Fast began his hockey career with the HV71 U18 team in Sweden's J20 SuperElit junior hockey league. He debuted in the 2007–08 season, tallying 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists) in 30 games. The next season, as a 16-year-old, Fast played in 37 regular season games and seven playoff matches for HV71's U20 team. He scored 17 points (9 goals, 8 assists) and had 24 penalty minutes, In 2009–10, Fast recorded 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists), the highest he had scored in all three categories during his SuperElit league career. He led the team in goals and placing second in points and third in assists. He tied for fifth in the overall league for regular season points,

Swedish Hockey League At age 18, Fast credited playing alongside Johan Davidsson as part of the reason for his success and growth in confidence. However, Fast's season was cut short after he suffered a fractured ankle during a 29 November game against Brynäs IF. He missed three months as a result, but nevertheless recorded 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 21 games for the season, matching his Swedish Hockey League career high in points and establishing new career highs in assists and plus-minus (+9). He also scored two goals and one assist in five postseason games. Fast had a strong start to his 2012–13 season, scoring six points (four goals, two assists) in the first 10 games. He finished the regular season with 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 47 games, exceeding the 32 points (12 goals, 10 assists) he had scored in 57 games during his first two Swedish Hockey League seasons.

At the conclusion of the 2012–13 season, Fast was awarded the Rinkens riddare (Knight of the Rink) award, which is bestowed by the Swedish hockey journalists' association each season to the most sportsmanlike player. He was also voted favorite HV71 player of the year by readers of the Swedish publication Jnytt.

New York Rangers Fast was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round (157th overall) of the 2010 NHL entry draft, Fast was the fifth of six players the Rangers drafted in 2010, along with Dylan McIlrath, Christian Thomas, Andrew Yogan, Jason Wilson and Randy McNaught. On 29 May 2012, the Rangers announced Fast had been signed to a two-way, three-year entry-level contract, Since HV71 was eliminated from the 2012–13 playoffs earlier than expected, Fast had the opportunity to go to the New York Rangers organization sooner than originally planned. The Swedish Hockey League initially voiced objections, but eventually agreed to loan him to the Rangers.

Fast practiced with New York for the first time on 2 April 2013, although he did not play with the team that season. and was the Third Star of the Game.

Fast participated in the Rangers' training camp that preceded the 2013–14 season, during which he impressed New York's head coach Alain Vigneault, and head European scout Anders Hedberg. Although it was his first North American professional training camp, Fast made the Rangers roster, partially because the team needed a right-handed shot to replace the injured captain Ryan Callahan. Fast made his NHL debut on 3 October against the Phoenix Coyotes, However, he suffered a high ankle sprain after going into the boards during a November 2 game at Springfield. The game was part of a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists) that stretched from 21 December to 29 December.

Fast had a season-high five-game point streak from 24 January to 31 January, recording six goals and two assists. That included his first North American professional multi-goal game on 25 January, in which he scored two goals against the Falcons. Fast followed that the next day with a second straight two-goal game, this time against the Adirondack Phantoms. which marked the start of a run of seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games up to 6 April. and his six game-winning goals tied for first in Hartford and fourth in the overall league. and played most of the season on a line with J. T. Miller and Ryan Bourque. Fast played in New York's last three regular season games, as well as three post-season matches. bringing him to 20 pounds heavier than when he was drafted in 2010.

Fast scored three goals during the Rangers' 2014 preseason, including a game-tying goal in a 22 September loss to the New Jersey Devils, and two goals in a 6–3 victory over Philadelphia on 28 September. For the second consecutive year, he made the Rangers roster out of training camp, with Vigneault calling him one of the most consistent players throughout the camp. But he again struggled once the regular season began, and on 17 October was sent back to the Hartford Wolf Pack, along with J. T. Miller. Fast had nine points (one goal, eight assists) over the next 11 matches for Hartford, including two 2-assist games on 24 October and 8 November, notching his sole goal in a 4–3 win over the Worcester Sharks on 2 November. He was recalled by the Rangers on 10 November. He scored his first NHL goal on 29 November, three days before his 23rd birthday, against Ray Emery of the Philadelphia Flyers. Miller, his long-time AHL teammate, assisted on the goal, and Fast assisted on a Miller goal that same game. Fast recorded his second goal in as many games on 1 December, scoring against Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fast had played most of the season on the fourth line, often with Moore and Tanner Glass, or with Hagelin and Kevin Hayes,

Fast finished the regular season with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 58 games, Vigneault praised him as "a real smart, hard-working player". the only points he earned in that series. It marked Fast's first career multi-goal game, making him the first Rangers rookie to score multiple goals in a game since Brandon Dubinsky in 2008, and the first with a multi-goal playoff game on the road since Mike Ridley in 1986.

After the conclusion of the 2019–20 season, having played in his seventh season with the Rangers, Fast left the club as a free agent.

Carolina Hurricanes On 11 October 2020, Fast joined his second NHL club, agreeing to a three-year, $6 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. On 11 May 2023, Fast scored the overtime and series winning goal against the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

On 1 July 2023, Fast signed a two-year, $4.8 million contract extension with the Hurricanes.

On 29 August 2024, it was announced that Fast would miss the entirety of the 2024–25 season after undergoing neck surgery.

On 2 June 2025, Fast announced his retirement from hockey.

International play In 2009–10, Fast skated in ten international matches for Sweden at the U18 and U19 levels, but did not participate in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship tournament. In 2011–12, Fast represented Sweden in the Karjala Cup portion of the European Trophy tournament in October. He scored two assists in three games,

Personal life Fast is the cousin of fellow hockey players Adam and Anton Bengtsson, who play in the Swedish Hockey League. Adam has said Fast was "supernaturally good" at hockey as a youth and he was not surprised by his future success. Fast also enjoys playing golf. and "Fasty".

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2007–08 HV71 J18 16 8 4 12 4 — — — — — 2007–08 HV71 J18 Allsv 14 7 7 14 10 — — — — — 2007–08 HV71 J20 3 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 2008–09 HV71 J18 2 2 2 4 0 — — — — — 2008–09 HV71 J18 Allsv 1 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 2008–09 HV71 J20 37 7 7 14 16 7 2 1 3 6 2008–09 Nässjö HC Div.2 1 3 0 3 2 — — — — — 2009–10 HV71 J20 37 23 26 49 10 3 0 2 2 0 2009–10 HV71 SEL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2010–11 HV71 J20 6 3 7 10 4 3 2 2 4 2 2010–11 HV71 SEL 36 7 9 16 6 3 0 0 0 0 2011–12 HV71 SEL 21 5 11 16 4 5 2 1 3 0 2012–13 HV71 SEL 47 18 17 35 4 — — — — — 2012–13 Connecticut Whale AHL 1 1 0 1 2 — — — — — 2013–14 New York Rangers NHL 11 0 0 0 2 3 0 1 1 0 2013–14 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 48 17 17 34 30 — — — — — 2014–15 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 11 1 8 9 2 — — — — — 2014–15 New York Rangers NHL 58 6 8 14 8 19 3 3 6 2 2015–16 New York Rangers NHL 79 10 20 30 18 5 0 1 1 0 2016–17 New York Rangers NHL 68 6 15 21 16 12 3 3 6 0 2017–18 New York Rangers NHL 71 13 20 33 26 — — — — — 2018–19 New York Rangers NHL 66 8 12 20 26 — — — — — 2019–20 New York Rangers NHL 69 12 17 29 20 1 0 0 0 0 2020–21 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 46 6 13 19 14 11 1 2 3 0 2021–22 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 82 14 20 34 4 14 1 0 1 0 2022–23 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 80 10 19 29 16 15 6 3 9 2 2023–24 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 73 6 13 19 16 — — — — —SHL totals 106 30 37 67 14 8 2 1 3 0NHL totals 703 91 157 248 166 80 14 13 27 4

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2011 Sweden WJC 4th 6 4 2 6 0Junior totals 6 4 2 6 0

Awards Award Year TV-Pucken Gold Medal 2007–08 J20 SM Silver Medal 2008–09 Rinkens riddare (Knight of the Rink) 2012–13