Marcus Bjork isn’t included on Wikipedia’s list of “notable people” from Umea, a city of 130,000 in Northern Sweden known for its two universities, stunning views of the Northern Lights, hardcore metal bands and a handful of NHL players.
The only active NHL player listed is New York Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho, which makes a perfect footnote to Bjork’s unlikely journey from Umea to Columbus, where the 24-year old Blue Jackets rookie is now a top-six defensemen after a slew of injuries.
By necessity, Bjork is even quarterbacking the Jackets' top power-play unit starring Johnny Gaudreau.