Scenes from a week of Red Wings prospects and hockey in Sweden – The Athletic
GOTHENBURG, Sweden – On Saturday night I saw a professional goalkeeper in full gear in a somersault towards the finish line, run up on his feet and jump into the end boards – then bow to some of the admiring fans.
Niklas Rubin had just posted a shutout over SHL’s first team, Skellefteå, to close a three-win win at home for Frölunda, so the enthusiasm was easy to understand. He had just been named the game’s first star. But it was also a perfect way to end a week full of unforgettable sights and experiences in Sweden.
I came to Gothenburg, of course, to watch and talk to four of the six Frölunda prospects that the Red Wings have drafted over the past three seasons (Gustav Berglund is no longer with Frölunda, and Lucas Raymond is already in the NHL). I chose a good week to come too: During the three matching home games, Elmer Söderblom scored in every match – including a big tiebreaking goal on Saturday – Theodor Niederbach scored three times, Simon Edvinsson had an assist and showed sublime two-way instincts, and Liam Dower Nilsson got an even run in two SHL matches while he continued to collect points against his teammates in the J20 league.
I’m sure you all have a lot of questions about these players, and in the coming days I’ll have lots of stories to tell about them.