GRAND FORKS — Ludvig Persson is returning home to Sweden.
After spending his senior season at UND, the goalkeeper signed with Brynäs IF in the Swedish top division. Brynäs plays for Gävle in Sweden.
Gävle is about a six-hour drive from Persson’s hometown of Hindus.
Brines’ head coach is Niklas Gerstedt.
In 1990-91, UND coach Brad Berry played for Brines, and his defensive partner that year was Gerstedt.
Two former UND goalkeepers will be in the Swedish top league next season.
Jakob Hellsten, who played for the Fighting Hawks from 2021-2023, has signed a contract to play for the Lexans.
Persson could have used the COVID-19 year to return to college for a fifth season, but informed the UND coaching staff near the end of last season of his intention to turn pro.
Person briefly joined Wheeling of the ECHL in the spring but did not play in a game.
The Fighting Hawks acquired Person from the NCAA transfer portal last summer after spending three years at the University of Miami.
Person started 34 of UND’s 40 games, compiling 21 wins, 11 losses and two ties with a 2.52 goals against average, .904 save percentage and five shutouts. He was named to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference second team at the end of the regular season.
Person led UND to a Penrose Cup victory as the NCHC regular season champion.
UND’s season ended with a 4-3 loss to Michigan in the NCAA Maryland Heights Regional in suburban St. Louis.
There are currently 19 former UND players signed in Europe for next season.
The finalists are: Colin Adams (Banska Bystrica, Slovakia), Mike Chichy (Kirkcaldy, Scotland), Conor Forde (Spišká Nova Vės, Slovakia), Chai Genoway (Salzburg, Austria), Hellsten, Ludvig Hof (Stavanger, Norway), Luke Johnson (Magnitogorsk, Russia), Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (Villach, Austria), Andrew McWilliam (Cardiff, Wales), Zane McIntyre (Straubing, Germany), Grant Mismash (Belfast, Northern Ireland), Brendan O’Donnell (Düsseldorf, Germany), Persson, Andrew Peschi (Lungsted, Denmark), Carter Rowney (Frankfurt, Germany), Hayden Shaw (Nuremberg, Germany), Adam Tambellini (Davos, Switzerland), Matej Tomek (Litvinov, Czech Republic) and Johnny Tychonik (Stockholm, Sweden).
Russell Hones / UND Track & Field
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been honored by Associated Press sports editors as the Herald’s top reporter in the publication’s division four times and as North Dakota sports writer of the year once. He lives in Grand Forks. He can be reached at bschlossman@gfherald.com.
