With most of the players’ teams struggling in their respective leagues, it’s a song that plays in minor this week.
Joonas Nättinen, JYP, Liiga
Joonas was out during the weekend with an undisclosed injury, however he returned to the ice in last night’s Champions Hockey League game. He assisted on two of JYP’s four goals against the (former?) Swedish powerhouse Skellefteå.
Arvid Henrikson, AIK J-20, J-20 Super Elit (Norra)
Henrikson had a rough weekend in the north of Sweden facing two teams with very good youth systems: Luleå and Skellefteå. Over the three games (two against Luleå and one against Skellefteå) AIK lost by 8-1, 4-1, and 8-0 scores. Henrikson was -7 when it was over and had a two-minute minor at the end of the last game that SAIK scored on, as well.
AIK will have a three-day homestand this upcoming weekend, and a positive turnaround to the season is needed as the team is glued to the bottom of the standings table at the moment.
What you have to realize is that Henriksson is playing against players that are two years older than him, some with experience in the SHL and Champions Hockey League time, too. He is being deployed as a second- or third-pairing defenceman on the team.
Lukas Vejdemo, Djurgården, SHL
Another team from the capital of Sweden that has struggled is Djurgården. The good start to the season has been replaced by a lack of confidence throughout the team. They came off a 4-0 loss to last year’s last-place finishers, Karlskrona, and had the chance to win against Frölunda with a tied score going into the third period. But Frölunda drove up tempo and won comfortably with a 4-1 score.
While Vejdemo was one of the possession-driving players for Djurgården versus Frölunda this weekend, he didn’t register a point. He was minus-two against Karlskrona and minus-one against Frölunda. He was not part of the Champions Hockey League team that travelled to Finland, and I’m not sure why.
EOTP will post a short interview with Lukas in the coming days.
Magnus Nygren, Färjestad, SHL
It is the same for Färjestad as for Djurgården: a bit of chaos at the start of the season. A loss at home against Malmö was followed with a loss against Karlskrona. Nygren was on the ice for both of his team’s two goals, but also for two goals against in the two matches.
In CHL action, Färjestad played away to the Czech Champions, Liberec, and in another loss (4-1) Nygren was a minus-one.
