PHOTO: Bildbyrån
He is one of Swedish hockey’s true greats.
Now Jonas Bergqvist reveals an absolutely incredible anecdote.
When he nudged the King himself with the four most unexpected words.
With only 22 NHL games played, Jonas Bergqvist cannot boast of any successful career in North America. But “Berka” has meant so much to Swedish hockey in other ways.
The icon Bergqvist
The Swedish legend has won Olympic gold, three World Cup golds and was presented with the Golden Puck. He has also represented Tre Kronor in an incredible 272 international matches, which only Jörgen Jönsson surpasses with his 285 international matches.
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After his playing career, Bergqvist has continued to dedicate his life to the service of hockey with seven years as club director for the favorite team Leksands IF, eight years as a t-expert in TV3 and a full eleven years on the board of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Today he is 60 years old and actually has no mission in hockey.
READ MORE: When a 10-year-old Peter Forsberg came home inconsolable after a match – and shocked his father with the confession
Nobbed the king
He would prefer it that way but will never forget what hockey has meant to his life and all the unforgettable memories he has received. One of his best memories is when he got the chance to meet himself King Carl XVI Gustaf in connection with the Winter Olympics in Seoul in 1988.
– Yes, I have had the privilege of meeting him many times. During the Olympics in Korea, I sat at a dinner for three and a half hours and there were only seven of us at the table and I sat across from him. There were high chairs and a café table, so it was quite a fun evening, I can say, says Jonas in an interview with Hockeynews.
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Tre Kronor had won Olympic bronze and Bergqvist was part of the national team then. But when the bronze hero was first asked if he wanted to have dinner with His Majesty, he answered with the four most unexpected words: “I have already eaten”.
– I was there with the Swedish Olympic Committee as a guest host. The man who took care of the king came up to me at half past seven in the evening and said that the king would like to have dinner with someone active and he wondered if I could stand up, says the hockey legend.
– I answered at first that I had already eaten, haha. Then he just looked at me and said it’s probably best if you eat one more time then. But we had a great time. I think it’s cool with the king’s genuine interest in sports and that he gets involved and that means a lot to us sportsmen and I told him that too and he was really happy to hear that. I saw that in him.
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