Defenceman Hans Jonsson was the very last player drafted in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, 286th overall. Despite his low selection Jonsson continued to hone his game in his native Sweden with Modo with an eye on making the NHL.
After six years with Modo, and four straight trips to the World Championships with Team Sweden, Jonsson crossed the ocean and joined the club that drafted him, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite his late draft selection Jonsson stepped right into the Penguins line up and was an immediate contributor. The rookie blue liners scored 3 goals and 14 points while providing a steady, consistent defensive game for the club. His second year was even better, though he did struggle with a series of nagging injuries. Though the bumps and bruises limited him to just 58 games he still managed to lead the team in scoring from the defense with 22 points. But his game was more then just offense. He endeared himself to the coaching staff, and to his netminder, by constantly blocking shots and playing an all-around responsible game in his own zone.
Over the next two seasons, Jonsson was unable to build on his successful sophomore season. Injuries again kept him off the ice for several games and his offensive output dipped, though the Penguins overall saw their scoring dip dramatically because of injuries to two of their key players Mario Lemieux and Martin Straka.
