Inspiring a hit single may not be what most hockey players set out to do, but Granlund can count that among his accomplishments.

The Oulu, Finland, native's memorable, lacrosse-style, scoop-and-score goal against Russia at the 2011 IIHF World Championship helped create a cultural sensation when a Finnish electronic music artist set announcer Antero Mertaranta's call of the play to music. The song, dubbed "Taivas Varjele," which translates to "Good heavens," reached No. 2 on Finland's singles chart.

But Granlund was getting attention for his hockey skills much earlier, soon after he first strapped on skates at the age of 2. A product of Karpat in Finland's club team system, he earned first-team all-star status in his country's top junior league at 16-years-old after scoring 21 goals and finishing with 57 points in 35 games. On his 17th birthday, Granlund made his debut in Liiga, Finland's top professional league.

After a contract dispute with Karpat, Granlund transferred to HIFK Helsinki to start the 2009-10 season. He was named rookie of the year in Liiga after finishing with 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in 43 games. He was also named the league's most gentlemanly player after taking one minor penalty all season.

NHL Central Scouting ranked Granlund as the top European skater entering the 2010 NHL Draft, and the Minnesota Wild selected him No. 9.

Granlund, whose younger brother Markus was chosen in the second round (No. 45) by the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL Draft, averaged better than a point per game playing two more seasons in Finland. After a concussion sidelined Granlund for part of the 2010-11 season and forced him to miss the IIHF World Junior Championship, he returned in peak form for the playoffs. He finished second in playoff scoring with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 15 games, helping HIFK win the Liiga championship. That preceded the "Taivas Varjele" goal against Russia in the semifinals of the World Championship on the way to a gold medal for Finland.

Granlund moved to North America and scored a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in his NHL debut Jan. 19, 2013. He finished his first season with eight points (two goals, six assists) in 27 games, then had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

His breakout season came in 2016-17, when he had NHL career highs in points (69), goals (26) and assists (43). He followed that by getting 67 points (21 goals, 46 assists) in 77 games in 2017-18. Granlund had 49 points (15 goals, 34 assists) for Minnesota in 2018-19 before being traded to the Nashville Predators on Feb. 25, 2019, one day before his 27th birthday.

Granlund was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1, 2023, for a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He played 121 games for the San Jose Sharks following an Aug. 6, 2023, trade before he was sent to the Dallas Stars with Cody Ceci on Feb. 1, 2025, for a first-round pick and conditional third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

He represented Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks after helping the Stars advance to the Western Conference Final, a five-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers, and helped Team Finland win bronze at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.