Johnny Oduya /

David Johnny Oduya (born October 1, 1981) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman of partial Kenyan descent, playing for the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League. Oduya's first club was Hammarby IF, where he played as a junior. In 2000, at the age of 19, he moved to North America to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He spent one season in North America, splitting time between Victoriaville Tigres and Moncton Wildcats. After moving back to Sweden, he signed a contract with Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Elitserien. During the two seasons he spent with the team, he was known as an aggressive defenceman and a tough guy. At times he fought with opposition players and received loads of penalty minutes. However, he was also a very dependable player and played regularly in the Swedish national team during the Euro Hockey Tour. In the 2005–06 season, after he had been dismissed by the NHL team Washington Capitals, he moved to another Swedish team, Frölunda HC. In Frölunda, he played as a more offensive defenceman, scoring eight goals and eleven assists. The following season, Oduya signed with the New Jersey Devils in the NHL. Many expected him to be a minor