PHOTO: Bildbyrån
The club addresses now are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings in the NHL.
But it all started in small clubs like Boro-Vetlanda and Kramfors-Alliansen for Tre Kronor stars Erik Karlsson and Adrian Kempe.
– I can thank the club a lot for what we got today, says back giant Karlsson, who supported his parent club financially.
Tre Kronor has a star-studded team in the Ice Hockey World Cup with 18 NHL players in the squad.
But the first steps towards ending up in the world’s best league with flair and high salaries were in many cases taken in small Swedish clubs.
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Among the players’ parent clubs are SHL teams such as Modo, Färjestad and Swedish champion Skellefteå.
But also small clubs in the lower leagues.
“Not been here today”
Both Erik Karlsson and Adrian Kempe are grateful for growing up in grassroots clubs where they were allowed to play and train basically as much as they wanted.
– It meant a lot to me. I don’t think I would be here today if I hadn’t grown up there. The opportunities I had to be on the ice every day after school and until the evening meant a lot, said Adrian Kempe, who scored 115 goals for the Los Angeles Kings in the regular season and playoffs over the past three NHL seasons.
– The amount of time I spent in those ice rinks and the amount of ice time I had the opportunity to get meant a hell of a lot, adds the 27-year-old about growing up in Ångermanland.
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Erik Karlsson, three-time winner of the Norris Trophy, the prize for the NHL’s best defender, also highlights the opportunity for training.
– I was lucky that I got a lot of ice time because not many people played hockey in Landsbro. So the ice was always free and I can thank that a lot for what you got today, he says about growing up in Småland society.
“Warm to the heart”
The world’s best Karlsson has helped his parent club, which at A-team level is in hockey’s second tier, financially.
READ MORE: The giant eel in Finland after the resounding fiasco in the hockey World Cup – the enormous sawing of the Finnish lions: “A historic humiliation”
It was noticed when he donated 75,000 kroner in 2016 and during the pandemic he contributed an unknown amount to help.
– The club is close to my heart. It’s hard to get things going sometimes when you come from small places and everyone helps out as much as they can. I can do it now and in what way is different, says Karlsson, who is one of the NHL’s best-paid players with an income of just over SEK 120 million per season.
What do you think of Erik Karlsson’s fine initiative for the parent club? Share the article and have your say!
Modo (SHL): Victor Hedman, back, Tampa Bay, Victor Olofsson, forward, Buffalo.
Skellefteå (SHL): Marcus Pettersson, b, Pittsburgh.
Malmö (SHL): André Burakovsky, b, Seattle,
Färjestad (SHL): Joel Eriksson Ek, f, Minnesota, Fabian Zetterlund, f, San Jose.
Frölunda (SHL): Lucas Raymond, b, Detroit.
Leksand (SHL): Felix Unger Sörum, b, Leksand.
Västerås (Allsvenskan): Jesper Wallstedt, goalkeeper, Minnesota/Iowa, Pontus Holmberg, b, Toronto.
Södertälje (Allsvenskan): Tim Heed, b, Ambri-Piotta.
Björklöven (Allsvenskan): Carl Grundström, b, Los Angeles.
Falun (one): Samuel Ersson, etc., Philadelphia.
Huddinge (one): Lukas Bengtsson, defender, Zug,
Troja-Ljungby (one): Linus Johansson, b, Färjestad.
Skövde (one): Max Friberg, b, Frölunda.
Lidköping (second): Rasmus Dahlin, b, Buffalo.
Boro-Vetlanda (second): Erik Karlsson, b, Pittsburgh.
Kramfors-Aliansen (second): Adrian Kempe, b, Los Angeles.
First (third): Jesper Frödén, b, ZSC Lions,
Nor (third): Jonas Brodin, b, Minnesota.
The Lion (third): Marcus Johansson, born, Minnesota.
Kågedalen (junior/youth): Filip Gustavsson, etc., Minnesota.
Malmberget (junior/youth): Isac Lundeström, born, Anaheim.
Tälje (defunct): Marcus Sörensen, b, Fribourg-Gottéron.
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