Lukas Vejdemo started his New Year’s Celebration early. Djurgården celebrated their 125th year of existence, and were wearing tribute jerseys to the championship-winning team of 1968. Vejdemo scored the opening goal in front of the biggest crowd in SHL play this season (13,189).
In a conversation with EOTP, Vejdemo himself explains the goal.
“I tried to chip the puck over a defender’s stick and I got it a bit too far away from me. That meant that I had to deke the goalkeeper, and as he bought it, all I had to do was to roof it!”
It was Vejdemo’s second goal of the season, and hopefully he will keep the scoring touch in the upcoming weeks as Djurgården will try to climb the table. He now has five points (2G, 3A) in 25 games, far off the pace from last year. The move to centre might benefit the big Swede later in his career as it is a natural position for his style of play, and where his playmaking skills can really shine.
It was arguably Vejdemo’s best game of the season, Frölunda beat writer Henrik Lehman said that he “didn’t just score, he played with passion and intensity.”
In regards to getting a last-minute cut, Jonathan Davidsson, from the Swedish WJC team, Vejdemo thought that his own experience as a final cut last year would help Davidsson get over the feeling of being left off the roster.
“We played well together today, and I feel that he took it the right way. Of course I was there to support and push him [after the cut]. It is my job as a teammate and a leader of the line.”
