PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Bengt-Åke Gustafsson made history as a hockey coach.
Today he looks negatively Swedish hockeys development.
– Unfortunately, I think they stick a little too early, says “Bengan” to Sportbibeln.
2006 was Bengt-Åke Gustafsson, 65, historic, and wrote himself into hockey history forever. He then became the first coach of all time to win a WC gold and an Olympic gold in the same year. “Bengan” also led Färjestad to SM gold in 2002.
Bengan’s career
Gustafsson also has a solid track record as a player. Four WC medals, two of which are gold, one achievement gold, and inducted into Swedish hockey’s Hall of Fame. He made 117 appearances for Tre Kronor and played for clubs such as Färjestad, Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oliers.
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Today, Bengan follows both the SHL and the Hockeyallsvenskan, and goes to hockey in the Nobelhallen in Karlskoga and at Löfberg’s arena in Karlstad. And he thinks hockey has changed from when he was an active player.
– It’s a bit more, what can you say… chasing, I think sometimes. When you were doing it yourself and playing, there was more control over things, now it’s a little more stress, stress, stress. Development is going a little the American way if you say so, soon “dump and chase” almost. But there are an incredible number of talented players that you see every now and then, who control things and make good and simple decisions, says Gustafsson to Sportbibeln.
Concerns for Sweden
Elias Pettersson was forced to give up this year’s hockey World Cup. It was all because the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation could not pay Pettersson’s insurance, which must have amounted to two to three million. This because his club Vancouver Canucks demanded an insurance cost based on Pettersson’s new million dollar contract he was going to sign.
– Unfortunately, the development is going in that direction. It’s sad that you don’t have a better grasp of it in any way, that you can’t bear to differentiate between anything, it’s the clubs that… It’s clear, they don’t want to support Sweden away in America if you say that, says Gustafsson about the phenomenon.
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Bengt-Åke also worries about how Swedish talent development is beginning to behave.
– All young talents more or less – they move away to America at once. It gets a bit empty here if you say that. I think it would have been better to have them at home or remain in Europe, and that they develop that way.
– But it is clear, there is a lot of prestige in playing in America, and the NHL above all. But many of them have to start in the farm leagues and play a few years there, before they get the chance and come up. So unfortunately I think they stick a little too early, I would have stayed here at home and developed instead, he says.
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