Photo: Bildbyrån
He has won Olympic gold, WC gold and several SM golds – also played with some of Sweden’s best hockey players of all time.
When Sportbibeln asks Charles “Challe” Berglund to take out his dream five with players he himself played with, he manages to put together a really exciting team building.
One of Djurgården’s greatest players ever is Charles “Challe” Berglund59. Apart from a two-year detour to Swiss side EHC Kloten, he remained loyal to the club throughout his senior career. He managed to win five SM golds with the Stockholm club.
Team captain in the Olympic team
“Challe” is also a Tre Kronor legend. He participated in winning World Cup gold in 1991, silver in 1993 and 1995, and a bronze in 1994. In the same year, he was the team captain of the Swedish national team that stood for a historic feat when they won Olympic gold in Lillehammer, the nation’s first Olympic gold in ice hockey ever.
Of all the impressive achievements, medals and awards he has collected during his active career (he has also been a coach in Djurgården, Timrå, Modo, HV71 and now Leksand) there is a lot to choose from when it comes to pinpointing an absolute highlight.
– It’s a difficult question really, but if you look at merit, it is of course to be team captain in Tre Kronor when Sweden wins its first Olympic gold ever in hockey, that’s high up. No doubt about it, says “Challe” to Sportbibeln and continues:
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– I think my second SM gold with Djurgården was really cool. We decided inside the Globe. The first time was up here in Leksand, but then I sat in the stands for the last game with a concussion. I was involved up until the concussion, but somehow when you were in the game and had a prominent role in the chain with Mikael “Mike” Johansson and Johan Garpenlövso that was cool.
“Challe’s” dream five
During his career, “Challe” has played both with and against some of the country’s best hockey players. Here is his dream five, full of players he played alongside. He leaves himself out, very humbly, but makes room for his great youth idol with whom he had the chance to play at the beginning of his national team career.
Goalkeeper
– I’ll take Rolf “Roffe” Ridderwall in goal. He was with us when I came up to the A team, he was a lovely competitive individual who was there and showed character and showed how things should be done in Djurgården IF.
Backs
– Without a doubt Börje Salming. My youth idol who I got to play with then both in the Canada Cup in 1991 and in the Albertville Olympics in 1992. Incomparable, lovely person too. Very caring towards everyone. As Alan Eagleson (CEO of the NHLPA, union for all NHL players) said at a dinner in Toronto during the Canada Cup: “The man who broke the ice was Börje Salming”. It was about the European invasion of the NHL. There was a standing ovation from all the teams. He didn’t like that. He didn’t want the focus like that, but he deserved it.
– I’ll have another hill, yes. Thomas Eriksson. He had the competitive instinct, a bit like “Roffe”. And then the upbringing of the young players. If you got shot in the foot in training or a match… if you stayed there, you could have Thomas hanging over you and shouting: “Get the hell up, get to the booth!”. That was the kind of thing that made us damn good too, because we younger people had to learn how to do it. Thomas was the team captain after that Carl “Kalle” Liljaor I don’t remember if it was before “Kalle”, but he was a leader and managed upbringing in a good way. And a damn good hockey player of course.
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Forwards
– Mats Sundin get a place there. I don’t need to put any words there really. Leader and top player in every way.
– Then I would like to be included Kent “Kenta” Nilsson also. Fantastic player. Also a person who, just like Börje, cared about everyone, if you have to put it that way, “the little person” in a dressing room. Not only the deserving, so to speak. Was at hand for everyone. In addition to being a fantastic hockey player, he is also a very nice person, which I think is important.
– What kind of center should I have then? I put Mikael “Mike” Johansson. We fought together a bit in Huddinge before he went to Djurgården. Partly in Djurgården, Tre Kronor and then also in Switzerland (EHC Kloten) where we became Swiss champions. Then back to Djurgården, SM gold again twice. Incomparably good player with a fantastic eye for the game. Although it’s hard to see him get angry, he had a temper, but he didn’t show it much. When he got grumpy, he got grumpy.
It was a lovely dream five signed “Challe” Berglund. Many players with a Djurgård connection, but that’s only natural considering where he played the most.
What do you think of his team selection? Feel free to comment on Sportbibeln’s Facebook page.
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