Swedish center Pär Lindholm, 33, has signed a two-year contract extension with Skellefteå AIK, the SHL club announced on Thursday, that will see him remain with the club through to 2027.

“I’m extremely happy to extend my contract with Skellefteå AIK,” said Lindholm. “This is home for me. It feels fantastic to be able to continue hanging out with the guys in the dressing room for another couple of years.”

“Pär is one of the league’s best two-way centers and an important part of our team building that stands for much of what Skellefteå AIK wants to stand for – hard work, team loyalty and a big club heart,” said GM Erik Forssell. “We are very happy that he will remain in black and yellow for another two years.”

Lindholm has played almost all of his career in Skellefteå since he was 15 years old. The only exceptions were a stretch in the NHL from 2018 to 2021 and a 29-game stint in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan in 2021-22. Lindholm played 106 NHL regular-season games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Boston Bruins, where he scored four goals and added 15 assists. He played in eight playoff games – two with the Jets in 2019 and four with the Bruins in August of 2020 in the Eastern Conference playoff bubble in Toronto.

Since returning to Skellefteå in 2022, Lindholm has been part of the team’s leadership group and was a key part of the team’s SHL championship run last season, particularly in the absence of the team captain and Lindholm’s longtime linemate Oscar Möller, who has since retired.

“I am eternally grateful for all the support and love you supporters give us,” Lindholm said to the Skellefteå fans. “Thank you for standing behind us. Together we have built something special and I look forward to continuing this journey with you.”

In his SHL career, Lindholm entered this season with 217 points in 404 combined regular-season and playoff games. So far this season, he has 13 points in his first 13 games, which is tied for the team lead with 19-year-old defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka, a Detroit Red Wings prospect.

Through 13 games, Skellefteå leads the SHL standings with 24 points. The team has also advanced to the Champions Hockey League round of 16, where it will face the Fischtown Pinguins from Bremerhaven, Germany in November.