Photo: Bildbyrån
Frölunda has several players injured before the meeting with Färjestad and coach Roger Rönnberg has been forced to use juniors.
But Ivar Stenberg, 17, who is considered one of Sweden’s greatest talents, gets the nod.
– He doesn’t have to prove it to me here and now! Calm down, says the coach to GP.
Table six Frölunda goes to Karlstad to face league leader Färjestad on Thursday evening. The Gothenburgers are missing several players due to injuries and illness and the coach Roger Rönnberg have called in several young junior players to fill out the squad.
Roger Rönnberg: “Peace and tranquility”
One who, however, cannot come along is the 17-year-old super talent Ivar Stenberg. Despite being one of the best players in the J20 series so far this year – with an impressive scoring average of 2.60 points per game initially – Rönnberg is waiting to give him the chance. Even though there are gaps to cover, he doesn’t want to force Stenberg into the game.
– I think as with Lucas Raymond: Peace and quiet. Lucas was up with us in the A team, but went back to the J20 because he thought it was moving forward too fast and he couldn’t play his game and be the attacking forward that he is. And Lucas is one of the wiser players, but also with wise advisors – who realized that he will be good anyway…, explains Roger Rönnberg in the local newspaper GP.
It then turned out to be a stroke of genius to move forward slowly with the Detroit Red Wings star. He has recently signed a new eight-year contract with his NHL club, worth almost SEK 700 million. Rönnberg hopes that Stenberg can take a similar step in a few years.
READ MORE: Roger Rönnberg reveals why he is leaving Frölunda: “Because…”
– Ivar Stenberg will be a great hockey player, but he doesn’t have to prove it to me here and now! Peace and quiet. This applies to many Swedish players. Let them be stars, let them be really big profiles, let them carry an entire team for a long time – so that they can take setbacks and successes. He will score goals, he will make a difference and he is setting his profile. I let him continue to do that in the J20 team, he says.
Admits his mistakes
The Frölunda coach admits that over the years he made a lot of mistakes by giving certain players the confidence too early, before they were ready. He has “taken up too many too soon” and does not want to risk anything with the super talent Ivar Stenberg.
Rönnberg believes that it is not always up to the coach to choose exactly how everything should be managed, there is an external pressure on the players. They are stressed for playing time at a young age and not everyone can handle it.
– It’s the entire hockey world. There are agents, there are scouts. It could be national team mates who get a chance at another club. And then it can sound: Why is he allowed to play? Why can’t I? There is so much influencing out there, says Roger Rönnberg.
READ MORE: Roger Rönnberg will never coach Brynäs – the detail that speaks against it in the future
What do you think about this? Should Frölunda try playing Ivar Stenberg? Comment!
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