Espen Knutsen
Jersey Number: 21
Player information for Espen Knutsen
Position
Center
Height
5'11" (180cm)
Born
January 12, 1972
Number
21
Shoots
Left
Weight
195 lbs (88kg)
Birthplace
Oslo, NOR
Years in Columbus
4
Player Images
Player Career Notes
- Played in four of his five NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, collecting 27-81-108 in 188 games from 2000-04.
- Notched his first goal in a Columbus uniform on Nov. 16, 2000 at Nashville (Tomas Vokoun).
- Led the Blue Jackets in assists and ranked second in points with 11-42-53 in 66 games during the club’s inaugural season in 2000-01.
- Ranked second on Columbus in assists and third in points in 2001-02 with 11-31-42 in 77 games and appeared in the 2002 NHL All-Star Game, representing the World Team to become the first, and only Norwegian player to appear in an All-Star Game.
- Notched his first career hat trick with the Blue Jackets on Jan. 24, 2002 vs. San Jose (Evgeni Nabokov-2, Miikka Kiprusoff-1).
- Finished his NHL career with 30-81-111 and 105 penalty minutes in 207 games with the Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks from 1997-2004.
- Made his NHL debut with Anaheim on Oct. 3, 1997 at Vancouver and scored his first goal on Oct. 10, 1997 vs. Ottawa (Ron Tugnutt).
- Went on to play two seasons in Europe, including stints in Norway and Sweden from 2003-05 and retired after playing for Djurgardens IF in Sweden in 2004-05.
- Also played for Djurgardens IF during his two stints in the NHL, helping the club capture the 2000 SHL championship.
- Played six seasons in Norway’s professional league from 1988-94 and three campaigns in Sweden from 1994-97 prior to making his NHL debut.
- Represented Norway on the international stage on several occasions, including the 1994 Olympic Games, five IIHF World Championships (1994-97, 2003 (DI)) and three IIHF World Junior Championships (1989-91).
- Joined Velerenga (Norway) as an assistant coach in 2005 and served as the club’s head coach over six seasons from 2008-16. Also served as Velerenga’s general manager in 2009-11 and 2012-13 as well as its sports manager and assistant coach from 2016-22.
CBJ Career Regular Season Stats
| Season | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SOG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-2001 | 66 | 11 | 42 | 53 | -3 | 30 | 62 |
| 2001-2002 | 77 | 11 | 31 | 42 | -28 | 47 | 102 |
| 2002-2003 | 31 | 5 | 4 | 9 | -15 | 20 | 28 |
| 2003-2004 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 4 | -5 | 2 | 11 |
| Totals | 188 | 27 | 81 | 108 | -51 | 99 | 203 |
Transaction History
- Drafted by Hartford in the 10th-round, 204th overall, in the 1990 NHL Draft.
- Acquired by Columbus from Anaheim for a fourth-round pick in the 2001 NHL Draft on May 25, 2000.
- Contract bought out by Columbus on Dec. 16, 2003.