Whistler’s Milan ends the first hockey season in Sweden
After spending last year in the Florida Panhandle and leading his team to the Southern Professional Hockey League Championship with the Pensacola Ice Flyers, local Garrett Milan spent the off-season at home in Whistler, waiting to see what offers would come his way.
Late in the summer, with the hockey season around the corner and plans to return to the US to play in the East Coast Hockey League, came one last offer: a chance to move abroad to play for Halmstad Hammers in the Swedish HockeyEttan league. Milan jumped at the chance.
– My agent actually called me when I trained one day and said that they are interested here in Sweden. So I did some research about the team and the league and everyone I talked to said that this is by far the best conference in the league to go to, so it was a pretty easy decision for me, says Milan. “At the time, I was focused on going back to Florida for a while and then this offer came from nowhere. So I jumped at it to try to start a little more career in Europe.”
While he said that the cultural transition to Sweden was easier than expected, with most who could speak English quite well, the biggest shock for Milan was to return to a real winter after spending the last few seasons in the southern United States where he would spend free days at the beach or play golf with their teammates.
“A lot of the guys here have a second job, they don’t get paid like imports do. So it can definitely be a little boring all day sometimes,” he said. “But you just go to the gym, you get body care, [and get] yourself ready for games. There is not much else to do. Definitely a lot of Netflix, maybe try reading a couple of books here and there. But yes, there is not much to do during the cold gloomy days in Sweden during the winter, of course. ”
Although it took some time to get used to the larger ice surface and the more running style of play compared to the more structured game he was used to in North America, Milan’s production was strong in the matches he played, with 29 points in 23 appearances during the regular season.
Unfortunately, the season as a whole did not turn out quite as expected for Milan, who eventually missed 18 matches with an ankle injury.
Milan initially thought it was just an ankle sprain, but tried to get through the pain after resting it for a couple of weeks. But when things did not get better, Milan demanded a magnetic X-ray, which showed that he had actually torn a tendon in his ankle. The injury kept him out for a few more weeks in the middle of the season.
“Coming back, it was tough. Of course I produced pretty good in terms of points, but I definitely played at 70 percent during probably 80 percent of the year, so I could not do a lot of things that I wanted to do physically that made me the player I am. , said Milan. “Being a short guy is my best trait for skating, and when you take off your skating, tight turns, stuff like that, it’s a little tough. I thought I did pretty well during the season, put up numbers, but there is obviously more room to improve. “
Although he picked up where he left off on the stretch and into the playoffs, after returning from injury, Milan’s role in the team changed as he saw less powerplay time and other opportunities usually given to the team’s best producers.
That, plus how his injury was handled, worsened his experience to the point that Milan already know he will not return to Halmstad next year. However, he hopes to remain in Europe and end his playing career with a team in Italy or France.
Wherever he plays next year, whether he is in Europe or back in the United States, Milan says his expectations and goals for the year have not changed.
“Obviously the main goal is to win as many matches as you can, whether it’s the championship or a promotion to the next level. It’s kind of where you want to go,” he said. “You want to go to a team that has these ambitions. But also as an import, you have to come and produce, and at this time in your career you want to do the best you can personally to open doors. ”
With Hammer’s playoffs coming to an end next week and no chance of the team advancing to the next level – which is the incentive to win European leagues versus a championship banner or trophy like here in North America – Milan will return home to Whistler this summer where he plans to run some summer hockey camps and training programs on dry land for local children.
“This year I will actually have about two different weeks with four ice ages a week in July. It will be a skills development camp for children, “he said. “I will run speed and fitness camps outside the ice for children as well. I had about eight to ten children last year who were fully involved in the program, and hopefully I can double that this year.”
For more information or to sign up for one of his camps, send an email to [email protected].