PHOTO: Bildbyrån
He is a real legend in Swedish hockey.
And perhaps an even bigger icon at Leksand.
Today we pay tribute to Jonas Bergqvist on his birthday!
When the hockey career ended in 1999 after long and faithful service wrote Jonas Bergqvist entered the history books as one of Tre Kronor’s truly great players. With his impressive 272 international matches, he became the player with the most matches in the blue and yellow national team uniform ever.
The icon Bergqvist
After that, have Jörgen Jonsson broke the mighty record but we will never forget what Bergqvist did for Swedish hockey. He always stood up for Tre Kronor when needed and placed great value in representing the nation.
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There were a total of 14 tournaments for Sweden and a record of one Olympic gold, one Olympic bronze, three World Cup gold, three World Cup silver and one World Cup bronze during his career. If he was big in Tre Kronor, he was probably even bigger in Leksand, where he is seen as one of the club’s foremost icons of all time.
READ MORE: Tre Kronor icon Jonas Bergqvist nudged the King with the four most unexpected words: “Then he just looked at me”
Leksand faithful
Bergqvist scored a total of 503 games and 415 points during 15 seasons in the Elitserien for Leksand and he never played for any other team in the top league. But unfortunately there was never any SM gold, instead the right-hand forward had to settle for the Golden Puck as his main merit, as a 34-year-old he was named the league’s best player in the 95/96 season.
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But it all started in Skåne and Rögle once upon a time before Jonas Bergqvist played his very first A team match for Leksand in 1981. He has his own mother to thank for the move.
The role of the mother
Her dance evening in 1979 changed the entire hockey career of her son Jonas.
– If she hadn’t been out dancing that night, I probably would never have played in Leksand, he admits in an old interview with SvenskaFans.
READ MORE: Jonas Bergqvist reveals when the legendary Sergej Makarov got crap from EVERYONE – and offered the most perfect answer
During her mother’s dance evening, she had met Take Erikssonwho then worked at Leksand’s hockey gymnasium, and arranged a move without Jonas’ knowledge.
– She told me the next day that he would bring papers and that I would sign. I thought she was joking with me. Obviously not when he was standing there by the door, says Bergqvist in the interview.
Jonas Bergqvist took the chance and left Rögle to start at Leksand’s hockey gymnasium. A decision he certainly hasn’t regretted since.
– It was a dream that came true. Leksand had always been my favorite team. In my room I had a Leksand poster and a little more, so it was great fun, says “Berka”.
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