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Eric Thore Nystrom (born February 14, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He was a first round selection of the Calgary Flames, taken 10th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, and made his NHL debut with Calgary in 2005. Nystrom has also played for the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. He played four seasons of college hockey with the Michigan Wolverines before he turned professional. On four occasions, Nystrom has played with the United States national team, most recently at the 2010 World Championship. He is the son of former NHL player Bob Nystrom.
Nystrom grew up playing several sports, including soccer and baseball, and only seriously considered a hockey career in his mid-teens. He played in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the New York Islanders minor ice hockey team.
While Eric was regarded as an NHL prospect himself, his father encouraged him to seek an education first, which the younger Nystrom did upon earning a scholarship to play for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 2000. He spent four years at Michigan where he earned a degree in liberal arts.
He moved onto the University of Michigan, earning a place on the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) All-Rookie team in 2002 after scoring 18 goals and 31 points. On the strength of that season, the Calgary Flames selected him with their first pick, 10th overall, at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Before turning professional, Nystrom completed his final three seasons of college eligibility, finishing with 111 points in 160 career games, and serving as the Wolverines' captain in his senior year of 2004–05.
Nystrom split the 2007–08 season between the Calgary and the Quad City Flames. He appeared in 44 regular season games for Calgary, and scored his first NHL goal on October 30, 2007, against the Nashville Predators. He scored a career-high four points, two goals and two assists, in the Flames final game of the regular season, a 7–1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Following the season, he signed a two-year contract extension with the Flames.
Nystrom played his first full NHL season with the Flames in 2008–09, playing in 76 games and scoring five goals, three of them game-winning. He added a fourth game-winning goal in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks. He more than doubled his career high in 2009–10, scoring 11 goals despite struggling through a groin injury for a large part of the season. He was invited to play with the American team at the 2010 IIHF World Championships.
On October 12, 2011, the Wild dealt him to the Dallas Stars. Minnesota had to place him through re-entry waivers first, and while Dallas could have claimed him at that point and been responsible for only half of his $1.4 million salary, they took on his full salary via trade so as to meet the league's minimum payroll rules. Dallas general manager Joe Nieuwendyk praised Nystrom as being an effective penalty killer who would add depth to his team. Though he was anticipated to play in a defensive checking role, Nystrom added an offensive touch for Dallas, scoring 10 goals in his first 21 games with the team. His 12th goal of the season set a new career high, and he finished the year with 16.
Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Nystrom signed with Stavanger Oilers late November and made his debut in the Norwegian GET-ligaen in a match against Vålerenga on December 20. Nystrom had four goals and three assists in his first game. He played only six games with the team, but recorded 14 points. Returning to the NHL once the lockout was resolved, Nystrom scored 11 points in 48 games with Dallas.
On June 29, 2016, Nystrom's three-year tenure with the Predators was brought to an end, as he was placed on waivers for the intent to buy out the remaining year of his contract. As a free agent, Nystrom was unable to attain an NHL contract opting to attend the St. Louis Blues training camp on a professional try-out offer on September 8, 2016.
| 1998–99 | New York Apple Core | EJHL | — | — |
| 1999–00 | U.S. NTDP U18 | NAHL | 57 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 50 | — |
| 2000–01 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 52 | — |
| 2001–02 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 36 | — |
| 2002–03 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 24 | — |
| 2003–04 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 50 | — |
| 2004–05 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 33 | — |
| 2005–06 | Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights | AHL | 37 | — |
| 2005–06 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 0 | — |
| 2006–07 | Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights | AHL | 0 | 2 |
| 2007–08 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 48 | 2 |
| 2007–08 | Quad City Flames | AHL | 15 | — |
| 2008–09 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 89 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 54 | — |
| 2010–11 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 30 | — |
| 2011–12 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 0 | — |
| 2011–12 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 24 | — |
| 2012–13 | Stavanger Oilers | GET-ligaen | 6 | — |
| 2012–13 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 61 | — |
| 2013–14 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 60 | — |
| 2014–15 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 15 | — |
| 2015–16 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 20 | 2 |
| 2015–16 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 0 | — |
| 2016–17 | Stavanger Oilers | GET | 8 | 55 |
| 2000 | United States | U17 | 4th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2001 | United States | WJC18 | 6th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| 2002 | United States | WJC | 5th | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | United States | WJC | 4th | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2010 | United States | WC | 13th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| All-CCHA Rookie Team | 2001–02 |
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